The Anchorage Assembly will consider an ordinance designed to protect neighborhoods near parks and greenbelts from fires started by homeless campers.
Meg Zaletel, sponsor of the ordinance who represents Midtown, says she considers it a matter of public safety to make the changes to municipal code to address wildfire risk when fire danger is high.
"It is fully a public safety ordinance," Zaletel said. "It's meant to one: Keep people safe who are living near where encampments may be. And two: Keep people who are camping in the woods safe. If it's not safe for someone to be there because of increased fire danger, we don't want you there."
The ordinance gives the Anchorage Fire Department chief the ability to declare parts of town "wildfire danger areas" that require mitigation for public safety. Depending on the circumstances, camps in the danger zone can be cleared out more quickly than the 10-day notice required now.