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RV fire breaks out at SLO County safe parking site

March 6, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Firefighters extinguished an RV fire Sunday evening at the San Luis Obispo County overnight parking site near Highway 1 and Kansas Avenue.

At 6:35 p.m., a caller reported a fire burning at 855 Oklahoma Avenue, the location of the homeless parking site. Firefighters took two hours and 40 minutes to extinguish and mop up the blaze, according to Cal Fire. 

All of the occupants of the RV reportedly managed to escape. It is unclear if anyone suffered any injuries as a result of the fire. 

Last week, SLO County announced plans to close the homeless parking site. County officials made the decision to close the facility after the majority of the people living there joined a homeless union.

Sunday evening’s blaze marked the second time a fire was reported at the safe parking site. In Feb. 2022, a woman died in an RV fire at the homeless parking lot.


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The Number 1 cause of rv fires are overheated rv absorbtion fridges. The boilers in rv absorbtion fridges overheat when not perfectly level.


In contrast to Mobile Homes, RVs are not designed to be lived in full time.


1

Not every homeless person wants to be housed. They create “families” where they depend on each other for survival. Some will choose to stay in the lifestyle, feeling a sense of self worth being there for others in their group, whereas in the real world, because of their drug addictions, mental health issues, they could not support themselves anyway. And of course, without the pressure to comply to the real world, they have the freedom to do as they wish.

The so called programs are only for those who really want to change, and willingness to jump though all the hoops.

I’ve heard:

Those in control of the $$ don’t really want the homeless situation resolved! IF there wasn’t a homeless crisis, then the federal government would stop sending the annual 2+billion $$ and these people in control of that $$ would be out of a job! Plus no one is screaming how they are mismanaging these funds! The $ never seems to reach the people on the street. The so called affordable housing is not for homeless on the street anyway. The “low income housing is for those who are capable of affording the mortgage! Non of that $$ intended for Homeless is actually for the Homeless person living on the street.


10

I will pray for the health and safety of all involved. These are our brothers and sisters. One way or another, these are our people. If you can’t physically or financially help, please consider praying and sending love. That will help, whether you believe it or not.


7

Some of these folks need our help, others need to get off their butt and get a job. There are too many that think that they can live off of the taxpayer, if they are required to work mind-sets are likely to change.


8

You can always pray. Love is what changes minds.


-1

I will pray for the health and safety of all involved. These are our brothers and sisters. One way or another, these are our people.

Well said!


4

It is a great idea to provide a safe parking place for overnight use for those who would suffer parking citations or other risks associated with using their vehicle as a home. When a safe parking spot turns into a full time residence, that is an abuse of the intended service and then to “unionize” to demand rights, that is homesteading. The County is right to clear out this free trailer park and consider more opportunities to provide a safe place to park (overnight only), like what has been set up at the railroad station in SLO.


23

correction, homestead folks are self sufficient and live off the land. This scenario reeks of squatting.


What is most confusing is the fence and gate. Who would want to be penned in like that? feels like a dystopian movie plot.


1

RV’s are not meant to be lived in…. they are for recreation…. and the county should no be sanctioning people living in them…


4

Because creek-beds and highway right-of-ways are the proper place to house them, right?

We need creative solutions or tons of money…ie, your taxes. Got any solutions?


-9

Involuntary civil commitment for the drug addicted and mentally deranged and tough love for the ones that just don’t want to work….


25

The state can already do Involuntary civil commitment.


As for the rest: “Vagrancy laws took myriad forms, generally making it a crime to be poor, idle, dissolute, immoral, drunk, lewd, or suspicious. Their application changed alongside perceived threats to the social fabric, at different times and places targeting the unemployed, labor activists, radical orators, cultural and sexual nonconformists, racial and religious minorities, civil rights protesters, and the poor. By the mid-20th century, vagrancy laws served as the basis for hundreds of thousands of arrests every year. Profound social upheaval in the 1960s produced a concerted effort against the vagrancy regime, and in 1972, the US Supreme Court invalidated the laws.” Risa L. Goluboff and Adam Sorensen. “United States Vagrancy Laws.”


0

Even those who have good jobs, find it impossible to afford an actual house. And God forbid you ever have a serious injury or illness. I agree with tough Love and everyone should be working. But life happens and circumstances arise unexpectedly. You can’t make dog and cat harsh decisions for everyone when we are dealing with People.


4

I agree with you on housing costs. However, it begs the question, when faced with such financial burdens in putting a roof overhead, why not move to a less expensive region? Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Nebraska, Nevada. Utah, etc… where you can rent an apartment for $500-$600/month in most medium sized communities.


Not everyone can afford to live in SLO, or for that matter Newport Beach, or Manhattan (NYC), or Beverly Hill. Living, and being able to afford to exist in one of the most expensive areas of the country is not a human right. It is just an economic reality.


1

Ohio, Indiana, Nebraska..etc? Might as well be Mars! Old people have a hard time with snow. Plus where does your family live? I for one would absolutely choose an RV over living away from my grandkids. AND would choose living in an RV over living in an apartment if I had to! From what I hear, sardine living is not so easy. ??


2

What about the 5.5 million dollars donated to that very organization CAPSLO, ..Jeff Bezos The creator of Amazon gave CAPSLO 5.5 million dollars , that should be more than enough money to put the homeless somewhere lol…and now CAPSLO WILL BE CLOSING THE RV PARK AT THE END OF THE MONTH…thus they still get to keep the grant money that comes in for that project , even though it doesn’t exist anymore ..there is enough money for noone to be on the street , ..


10

An RV is a lot better than a Bench or a Tent! You must really enjoy your ability to live in a nice warm house? Not everyone has such a blessing! An RV provides a warm, dry bed for many. Nothing wrong with wanting shelter. They county should not be concerned over how people find their way to a nice warm bed. Nor should the County be financially responsible for it.


3