Seattle volunteer groups make dangerous discovery during homeless encampment cleanup: 'Ticking timebomb'
We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez told FOX 13 that guns, machetes and other dangerous materials have been uncovered in the cleanup
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A shocking discovery rattled volunteer groups cleaning up a Seattle homeless encampment over the Labor Day weekend as they unearthed nearly 80 propane tanks, 20 of which still reportedly contained flammable material.
"We have many camps going up in flames, we see them every day. We see explosions inside our greenspaces, it's from the propane tanks. It's a ticking timebomb," Tim Emerson, program director of nonprofit group We Heart Seattle, told KOMO 4 News, a local outlet.
We Heart Seattle was among the three groups assisting with the cleanup that cleared approximately 5.6 tons of debris, excluding the weight of the tanks, Emerson said.
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Near downtown Seatte and along I-5, a homeless community of tents nicknamed The Treeline live on the edge of the freeway and boarder of redwood trees in Seattle, Washington Friday July 22, 2022. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"Anytime somebody [is] doing anything that causes a little bit of spark and fire around the fuel, it's over. The whole neighborhood is going to experience the explosions," he added, per the report.
The discovery raises concerns about flammable materials at encampment sites, a concern that consistently surfaces in local reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andrea Suarez, founder and CEO of We Heart Seattle, told Fox News Digital: "The City of Seattle has two very limiting policies that restrict employees from tackling the decimation of our greenbelts as a result of unsanctioned camping. Those two policies known as Multi-Department Administrative Rules (MDRS) apply to city workers to stand back if debris is on a slope or within 20 feet of a structure (tent as example). This red tape has accumulated millions of pounds of trash, propane tanks, tanks of fuel, weapons, human waste buckets, bottles, metals and rotting disease spreading garbage in our greenbelts which are Seattle Parks and Recreation's responsibility to maintain. SPR has gone on record to say that greenbelts simply are not a priority to maintain. Adding the two paralyzing policies, the trash builds and for decades. Thankfully volunteer led grassroots groups like We Heart Seattle, and A Cleaner Alki are taking on the clean-ups as a vital gap fill to restore green spaces and public safety."
She added, "This work is especially important in reaching people living in cruel and inhumane conditions with volunteers and our paid leads who are also social workers equipped with case management skills offering connection to detox and long term recovery housing services."
Fox News Digital reached out to the Seattle city government for comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In March, flames engulfed an encampment after residents reportedly used a cooking stove and things went awry.
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Seattle firefighters are facing issues with propane tanks at homeless encampments in the area. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)
FOX 13 in Seattle said at the time that the cause of the fire was under investigation, but quoted We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez as saying the encampments are "ticking timebombs" while stating the risk isn't taken seriously enough.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Propane tanks were seen among the debris.
In a recent report, Suarez told the outlet that the same cleanup that uncovered 80 propane tanks also uncovered other dangerous materials, including guns, machetes and blades.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In July, KOMO 4 News reported on a suspected encampment fire after multiple propane tanks exploded at a park near Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood.
The latest discovery is only a warning of what could have happened – or what could happen at another encampment in the area.
The recent report stated that Seattle Fire Department numbers indicate that firefighters responded to 582 fires between January and the end of August this year, but the department could not provide specific details about the role of propane tanks.
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