The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a strengthened version of an unsafe camping ordinance covering unincorporated areas, in an attempt to prevent wildfires that originate in homeless encampments.
The ordinance is set to take effect in 30 days, according to Supervisor Joel Anderson's office.
Anderson's office said it will prohibit encampments that endanger community safety on public property, or damage public property or structures; and ban anyone from using combustible ignition or fire sources, maintaining an open fire, or discarding lit materials tobacco products.
Those violating the ordinance "would be subject to enforcement under other relevant laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, stay-away orders, public nuisance and other injunctive relief," Anderson's office said.
Law enforcement officers may only write a citation "to enforce a violation of section 73.108 where the violation poses an imminent risk of death, serious injury, or spread of wildfire or communicable disease," his office added.
For example, someone burning a fire outside of designated public campgrounds could be cited, although it would not be considered criminal.
Tuesday's 4-0 vote involved a second reading of the proposal after supervisors voted 4-0 on May 6 to request a draft of the updated policy. It was the latest step in a process that began in October 2023, when the board asked since-retired Chief Administrative Officer Helen Robbins- Meyer for a proposed revision of the ordinance that has been in effect since 1968.
The board provided more direction last August to her successor, Ebony Shelton. In March, the board directed county staff members to provide feedback to the proposal.
Earlier this year, Anderson said passing an updated ordinance "is a crucial step to protect all residents," as "news reports have confirmed the origin of several recent fires being encampments, including the Center Fire in Rancho Bernardo in January of this year."
Along with the Center Fire, the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team told NBC7 on Jan. 30 that homeless encampments were the cause of two other blazes in the San Diego neighborhoods of La Jolla and Mission Valley.
During Tuesday's public comment period, one resident said she strongly supported the revamped ordinance.
"We need to acknowledge the humanity of other people, and that people can be down on their luck," Mary Davis said. "But letting them live in squalor in riverbeds or dry kindle brush is not humane, either," she added.
