An abandoned house in Hollywood that was taken over by a group of homeless squatters recently burned down, in a development that should surprise absolutely no one.
Neighbors repeatedly complained to the city that the house had been taken over by squatters. Police would come and the squatters would disappear, then just come back the moment the police were gone.
You would think the people of southern California have had enough of fires after the last few months, wouldn’t you?
FOX 11 in Los Angeles reported:
Vacant Hollywood home burns down after string of fires allegedly caused by squatters
A vacant Hollywood home burned down Thursday, one week after FOX 11 was first to report on homeless squatters taking over the building.
Thursday morning’s destructive blaze along the 1700 block of Wilton was the fourth fire at the location in about two weeks.
“It’s almost comical,” said Jeanne Rice, a neighbor. “I’m kind of laughing a little bit, because it’s like a joke. We’ve been tortured over it.”
Rice is one of several neighbors on Wilton who have complained to city officials for months about two vacant homes on the street taken over by squatters.
Nearby residents have reported public drug use, constant nudity, large fires, and a general disregard for laws.
“If there are abandoned buildings on the street, they can’t be lying there for like a year without being knocked down,” said Carolita Blythe, another neighbor. “Because, people without homes are going to go into the buildings.”
See the video report below:
LATEST: One of the homes in Hollywood we reported on last week, taken over by squatters, has burned down. Nearby residents are demanding accountability. #hollywood #losangeles pic.twitter.com/j8TR9yCeVW
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) May 2, 2025
After wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in southern California earlier this year, the city and state have absolutely no excuse for this. They should be on high alert for fires started by homeless people with a zero tolerance policy. What an utterly predictable failure.