Fire at Retreat for Homeless Causes $25,000 Soil Damage

A storage shed filled with paints, solvents and flammable liquids caught fire Tuesday, causing $25,000 worth of environmental damage to a retreat for the homeless in Canyon Country, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

Firefighters said hazardous materials, used in occupational training workshops, seeped into the ground with the water used to battle the blaze. The contaminated soil will have to be removed and deposited in a special dump for toxic waste, they said.

Battalion Chief Mike Balzano estimated that the cleanup, which he said would be supervised by the Air Quality Management District and the state Office of Emergency Services, will cost between $20,000 and $25,000.

The fire occurred at a retreat for single homeless men in the 16300 block of Sierra Highway operated by the Venice-based Bible Tabernacle Church.

Pastor Peter Hilst said the camp shelters about 180 homeless people from the Venice area and gives them an opportunity to learn vocational skills.

Hilst and firefighters said the blaze began when one resident set fire to a pile of leaves he had raked together outside the camp’s auto body shop. Sparks from burning leaves ignited spilled paint, then the storage shed exploded in flames. Firefighters worked for an hour to control the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby brush. Several firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion.

The auto-body shop and a camp bus were destroyed, Hilst and firefighters said.

Hilst estimated the value of the destroyed property at about $2,000. But firefighters said the church will also be responsible for paying to clean up the toxic runoff.