Major Cleanup Planned at Sepulveda Basin Encampment in Los Angeles

Officials order removal of all personal belongings by 6 a.m. on Friday

Mar. 27, 2026 at 1:37pm

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Crews from the LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) have planned a major cleanup operation for an encampment in the Sepulveda Basin on Friday morning. Officials have sent out a notice to people living in the area that they are required to remove all personal belongings, including tents, tarps, sleeping bags and clothes, from posted areas along a stretch of Burbank Boulevard near Balboa Boulevard by 6 a.m. on Friday. The city says it will not remove personal property that is properly stored and clearly not abandoned.

Why it matters

Residents in the area have raised concerns over encampments and fires in the Sepulveda Basin, with hundreds of unhoused people living in the area and hundreds of fires reported. The cleanup operation is part of the city's efforts to address the homelessness crisis under Mayor Karen Bass's 'Inside Safe' initiative.

The details

The notice states that all belongings must be removed by 6 a.m. on Friday and that all property left behind will be removed by the city. City officials say they will not remove personal property that is properly stored and clearly not abandoned. Through the first 240 days of 2025, the LAFD had responded to 254 fires in the area, the majority of which were related to warming fires or rubbish fires.

  • The cleanup operation is planned for Friday morning.

The players

LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN)

The city department responsible for carrying out the major cleanup operation in the Sepulveda Basin.

Karen Bass

The Mayor of Los Angeles who has launched the 'Inside Safe' initiative to address the homelessness crisis in the city.

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD)

The fire department that responded to 254 fires in the Sepulveda Basin area through the first 240 days of 2025, the majority of which were related to warming fires or rubbish fires.

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What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This cleanup operation highlights the ongoing challenges of addressing homelessness and encampments in the Sepulveda Basin, as well as the need for comprehensive solutions that balance public safety concerns with compassionate support for unhoused individuals.