Eaton Fire Burn Scar Area Sees 400% Spike in Burglaries

Soaring Burglaries in Burn Scar Area

• 🚨 Residents in the Eaton Fire burn scar area are experiencing a dramatic increase in burglaries, with one report indicating a spike of over 400%.
• 🏠 Homes destroyed by the fire are all around, yet some properties that survived have been targeted multiple times.

Personal Experiences with Theft

• 💡 One property owner reported his home being burglarized three times since the Eaton Fire, with thieves stealing tools and photography equipment.
• 📌 This same resident also knows of two other homes on his street that were broken into, highlighting a pattern of crime.

Community Concern and Law Enforcement Response

• ⚠️ Property owners express great concern, noting that this community typically does not experience many burglaries, and many residents have not yet returned to their homes.
• 📈 Lieutenant Ethan Marquez of the Altadena Sheriff's Station confirmed a 142% increase in residential burglaries since January, attributing it to the reduced population in the area following the fire.

Proposed Solutions and Current Measures

• 🏘️ Residents suggest that more patrols would help, and some believe a National Guard presence, similar to that in the Palisades Fire burn scar area, could deter crime.
• 🏛️ LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger noted that while a National Guard presence is not her decision, she is exploring options for additional resources for the Sheriff's Department.
• 📝 The Sheriff's Department offers home check programs where patrol units periodically check on vacant homes for residents who sign up.