Firefighters at the scene of a warming fire Friday morning said such fires have been taxing their resources this year.
They respond to the homeless camp fires several times a day.
“When we get there, we try to clear the resources as fast as we can,” said Portland Fire & Rescue Lt. Tommy Schroeder. “But in the immediate time, certainly there are other calls that could be holding, that those units could be responding to. Not in all cases, but sometimes.” He said it highlights the balance between keeping buildings safe and keeping people safe as they struggle in the cold. That balance also requires education.
“We’ll have discussions with these homeless individuals that are starting these fires to make sure that they are doing it safely, that they are burning the proper materials. If they can have a bucket of water around, just in case, we recommend that as well.”