Smoke billowed out from below Interstate 85 in Atlanta yesterday, in a scene eerily reminiscent of the fire that collapsed a bridge along the highway nearly three years ago.
It was both concerning and, bizarrely, familiar - the third such fire in the general area under I-85 in the last week.
The cause of the increasingly common fires isn't any mystery - at least two have been linked to the sprawling homeless encampments under the interstate. And it's not hard to surmise why they're popping up more now - the temperatures lately have been the coldest all winter, and fires are obviously a tool homeless communities turn to to try to stay warm.
After the latest incident, there are increasing calls to address the situation and help the people staying under the bridge into better situations. 11Alive's social media channels were flooded after Thursday's fire with comments expressing dismay at the situation and asking for solutions.
"The homeless people living under those bridges have to keep warm," wrote Finbar Lumsden. "Those people needs help Mr. Governor."
"It would be cheaper to build a warming center under there," wrote Phyllis Prather Powell.
And, as Ronald Whisenant wrote, simply: "Oh no, not again!
It's a complex issue, with no instant fix.
Atlanta officials have opened warming centers throughout the cold snap, which was at its worst last weekend. And in November the city announced a $50 million initiative to build housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Nevertheless, instances like the fires under I-85 persist.
The first was reported last Friday and appeared to have been started at an encampment. In that instance, firefighters struggled to access the fire - having to get through a fence and drag their hoses up to it.
Then on Wednesday, another broke out as the result of a fight between two homeless men living under the overpass, police said. One allegedly set fire to the other's tent during the fight.
And, finally, the fire Thursday. Officials have not yet publicly announced the cause, though they did say they found debris burning.
Atlanta Police said in a statement that the best they can do is work with other public agencies to help move those who are willing:
"APD works with other city agencies and social service organizations to assist individuals living in encampments on public rights-of-way and private property. Our goal is to work collaboratively with those agencies to find appropriate housing and other services for individuals experiencing homelessness, in the interest of public safety for all parties involved. The Georgia Department of Transportation has been a valued partner in assisting us with ensuring we have access to their properties so that we may address these issues. APD has assisted in removing these encampments in the past and providing assistance to the individuals willing to accept it, and will continue to do so in the future."
In the meantime, frustrations persist.
"The city needs to get the homeless in shelters and make it so they can’t access and live under the bridges," Richard Feliccia wrote. "It’s sad that some people are living like that."
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