Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

A task force in Kensington is charged with extinguishing fires that keep the homeless warm. Residents are welcoming the new effort.

Kensington residents say they're grateful to be seeing fewer rubbish fires, which can turn dangerous. But homeless people say they rely on them for warmth, and are just trying to survive the winter.

A man experiencing homelessness crouches next to a fire on the sidewalk of Kensington Avenue in April 2023. The city has launched a task force to walk through the area at night and extinguish open fires because of the risks of rogue flames.
A man experiencing homelessness crouches next to a fire on the sidewalk of Kensington Avenue in April 2023. The city has launched a task force to walk through the area at night and extinguish open fires because of the risks of rogue flames.Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer