Our communities are under siege — not by the homeless, but by the unchecked dangers of encampments along Caltrans and Union Pacific Railroad rights-of-way. It’s time to enforce the legally upheld camping ban to restore safety, slash crippling costs, and protect every resident of Goleta and Santa Barbara County. This isn’t about criminalizing homelessness or abandoning compassion. It’s about confronting the fires, crime, and blight that threaten our neighborhoods and redirecting resources to real solutions. We can’t wait another day to act.
Fires Threaten Everything We Hold Dear: Homeless encampments are tinderboxes. Cooking fires, makeshift heaters, and carelessly discarded cigarettes ignite blazes that endanger lives, destroy property, and overwhelm our fire department. Since 2020, Goleta alone has battled more than 55 fires directly linked to encampments, as reported by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department. Many flare up near eucalyptus trees, which can transform a spark into a raging wildfire in minutes.
The catastrophic fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena are stark warnings of what’s at stake — entire neighborhoods reduced to ash. Enforcing the camping ban eliminates these preventable risks, safeguarding homes, businesses, and lives. Every moment we hesitate invites disaster…