LA County community sees daily arson, trash fires; 1,000+ this year

LA community fed up with crime, trash fires

Residents are calling part of LA's South Bay "lawless," with the community battling trash fires violent crime, and more on a daily basis.

LOS ANGELES - Members of a South Los Angeles community say they're fed up with the constant trash fires and crime in what they call their "lawless" neighborhood. Residents say jurisdictional ambiguity has led to confusion about how to respond in the area.

By the numbers:

A recent report from the Los Angeles Fire Department says the local homeless population has been involved in at least 500 trash fires in the area since January 1, 2025. The number doubles when accounting for nearby areas serviced by the county — that averages to more than seven a day.

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The Watts station tells FOX 11 that "easily" 95% of the fires they respond to are homeless-related.

Underneath the interchange of the 105 and 110 freeways, there have been more than 1,000 there since January. 

What they're saying:

Cesar Verdin's family has owned and operated Advance Finishing in the area for nearly 50 years. He says the fires and crime in the area have gotten worse in recent years.

"It's pretty lawless out here," Verdin said. "Kids aren't allowed to go outside on their own without adult supervision."

What we know:

The area is at the intersection of multiple jurisdictional boundaries, with property belonging to Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrans, the state of California and the city of Los Angeles all within steps of each other.

And it isn't just the fires the community is worried about. Locals say they're constantly facing crime, with masked men flaunting AK-47s, illegal dumping and more.

"We have 400 pounds of pork shoulder marinating on Figueroa and 127th that was dumped overnight," said Dave Matthews, a community advocate. "And then on Saturday, we had 1,000 pounds of pork ribs dumped on the street."

Verdin and Matthews also say there have been multiple incidents on the nearby railroad tracks.

"There was a woman laying in the middle of the tracks and the train couldn't stop in time, so it hit her and it severed her leg," Matthews said. "And then a homeless person actually took the leg into an encampment."

Matthews found the woman's leg at the 110 Freeway and Redondo Beach Boulevard. 

Dig deeper:

Community members say they're hoping Gov. Gavin Newsom's latest plan will make a drastic dent in the chaos 

RELATED: Newsom asks California cities to ban homeless encampments

Newsom's model ordinance is aimed at eliminating homeless encampments in California.

Cities would have the discretion to determine the severity of penalties, including arrests or citations for violations.

Counties, cities and towns can directly adopt or modify the ordinance.

"We just want some law and order," Verdin said. "Everyone pays their taxes. California is one of the most expensive states to live in, and we feel like our tax money should be coming up with solutions instead of the problems getting bigger."