Tiny homes for veterans destroyed in early morning fire

A fire broke out at a village of tiny homes in West Los Angeles early Friday morning, leaving several veterans living there without a place to stay.

The blaze, which was reported around 12:20 a.m., destroyed 11 tiny homes and damaged four others, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles. Some residents reportedly attempted to fight the flames with fire extinguishers they had on hand.

"It just kept getting worse and worse," said veteran Dolores Ramos, a resident of the village.

Rob Reynolds, a veteran and volunteer for the non-profit AMVETS, which manages the village, said he also received a call from residents about the conflagration.

"As I was coming up, I saw it starting to spread to the other tiny homes, and we got in to make sure everyone was accounted for,” Reynolds said about what he saw when he arrived.

AMVETS works to get veterans off the streets along San Vicente Boulevard nearby, also known as “Veterans Row.” The tiny homes are intended as a stepping stone to permanent housing and provide residents access to medical and rehabilitation services.

Officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department said the damage was significant because of the village had a limited number of fire hydrants. They believe the fire was an accident, possibly caused by a lithium battery of an electric bike that was being charged.

The village has 140 units total, 25 of which were built after actor, bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger donated $250,000 to the non-profit Village for Vets during the 2021 holiday season.

Veterans left homeless were moved to nearby VA domiciliary care. 

LA County released its first homeless count since 2020 on Friday. Its survey found the number of unhoused people in the county increased by 4.1% since 2020 – numbering 69,144 homeless people total.