Homeless In Texas At 10 Year High 3 fires, 8 burning violations at Homeless Camps In 24 HOURS

A String Of Fires - Sparked In Homeless Camps - Broke Out Overnight In Austin, Texas Causing Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Damage, And Destroying An Iconic Historical Building In The City.
One Of Those Fires Started Late Last Night In A Homeless Camp And Spread To Austin's Historic Buford Fire Tower Which Was Built In 1930. The Entire Side Of The Building Went Up In Flames.

According To The Fire Department, The Damage Caused To The Iconic Tower Will Cost About $12,000 To Repair.

Chief Thayer Smith Said That This Particular Fire Was Set Intentionally And They Are Still Searching For The Person Who Caused The Blaze.

Friday Morning Fire Crews Responded To A Separate Fire At A State Homeless Camp. Four Housing Units Were Destroyed In That Blaze.

This Latest String Of Fires Comes After A Homeless Camp Went Up In Flames Last Week At An Encampment Located Beneath A Fly-over In South Austin Causing Damage To The Bridge That Will Require Repairs.

Drivers Could See Flames Billowing From The Median And Upward To The Bridge Above.

The Austin Fire Department Said The Fire Was Accidental, Caused By A Candle Kept Too Close To Something Combustible.

Battalion Chief Smith Says That Fires Coming From The Homeless Camps Are Becoming More Common And That They Are Called Out To Homeless Camps 5 To 6 Times A Day On Reports Of Fires.

Now Austin City Council Members Are Urging Residents To Vote In Favor Of Reinstating The City's Ban On Homeless Camping. The Proposition Will Be Added To The Ballot In May After A Successful Petition.

However, Local Democrats Have Launched A Campaign Against The Measure Saying It Would Be A Step In The Wrong Direction.

According To The Most Recent Data Austin's Homeless Population Reached A 10 Year High In 2020 And The Number Of People Living On The Streets Increased By Nearly 50%.

The Texas Homeless Network Reported That 27,000 People Experienced Homelessness On Any Given Single Night In The State Of Texas Last Year, Which Is A 5% Increase From 2019.

The Report Indicates That 37% Of The Homeless Population Is Black - Even Though African Americans Make Up 13% Of The States Total Population.