*** WATCH *** Firefighters wet down hazardous homeless campfire on...

HYANNIS – Police and firefighters responded to the Hyannis Water Supply lands in the area of 47 Old Yarmouth Road late this afternoon for a report of some type of outside fire. Up to that point, there had been a number of brush fires across the mid-Cape. Conditions have been dry and fires in large wooded areas can be a problem this time of year.

Today’s fire turned out to be at a homeless camp. The campfire had become too large and attracted attention. Trash was being burned and a woman was advised to pack up the trash and haul it out of the woods for proper disposal.

It’s technically illegal to be camping on Town of Barnstable public lands but because of the number of homeless without shelter, it becomes something officials sometimes turn a blind eye to. It’s a complicated issue and homeless camps are quite common in the area of Hyannis.

These camps exist as sort of a “lessor of two evils” type of temporary solution that has its own share of problems. Aside from the possibility of campfires growing out of control and threatening neighboring structures, there are health concerns. It’s not unusual for Barnstable Police and Hyannis Fire officials to respond to these camps in order to rescue someone who has become ill or injured. They also respond to the these wooded areas for violent homeless-on-homeless crimes. Also, the pollution of these public lands is yet another issue…

But the issue of homelessness on Cape Cod (and across America) is not going way anytime soon. And in the meantime, it’s police and firefighters who have to shoulder added public health and safety issues like the one highlighted in the following HN Video…

HN NOTE: I attempted to exchange information with the woman at this particular camp, knowing that generous Hyannis News readers have often taken the initiative to raise thousands of dollars to help… but the person in this case was not interested at this time. If that changes, I will try to pass that information along…

And also, on a brighter note, as best as I can gather from police and homeless sources, not one homeless person froze to death this past winter in Hyannis, this is partly because of generous HN readers who took the initiative to help those in need! Thank you!

[HN VIDEO – PRESS PLAY]