AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin Mayor Steve Adler and other local community leaders held a press conference Friday afternoon, aiming to discuss the city's homelessness problem and two fires that flared up in the last 24 hours.
One of the fires broke out next to the historic Buford Tower in downtown Austin Thursday night, causing about $12,000 in property damage. Another fire flared up at the state-run homeless camp in southeast Austin just after 4 a.m. Friday morning, damaging four units at the site where about 100 people live.
Austin Fire crews said in addition to the two fires and one other campsite fire, crews dealt with 8 cases of violations of open burning guidelines in the past 24 hours.
The debate comes as Austin voters will soon decide on whether to reinstate the city's public camping ban with a vote on Proposition B on May 1.
"If these same fires happen in the woods… to those people we may have forced back there as some are asking… people may well die," Adler said. "Last night's fires were horrible and we're fortunate that no one died, but it should renew and redouble our efforts to get people out of tents everywhere and get them into homes."
Save Austin Now PAC, the group pushing for passage of Proposition B, said Friday morning that more than 2,000 individuals have donated to its efforts. Co-founder Matt Mackowiak, in a press release, said the numbers show strong support from across the city. "This city is ready to finally and fully end the public camping disaster which has been bad for both the residents and the homeless, causing real harm to public safety, public health, tourism and the image of Austin," Mackowiak said. "We can do better. We will fix this mess on May 1st."
Early voting for the May 1 election begins on April 19.
