Councilmember Discusses Efforts to Address Fire Damage at Encino Franklin Fields
Los Angeles City Councilmember Imelda Padilla’s office is actively collaborating with various agencies to address infrastructure damage caused by a fire at Encino Franklin Fields last month. The fire, which is believed to have been set by a homeless individual on January 22, has significantly restricted access to three softball fields utilized by youth organizations and local high school teams, including Harvard-Westlake, Louisville, and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.
The blaze destroyed the wooden framework beneath an asphalt bridge, rendering it unsafe for use. In response to this situation, parents of athletes have funded a temporary scaffold bridge to provide access, although the parking lot remains unusable, and handicap access has been compromised. Consequently, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has relocated its practices and games to Valley College, while Harvard-Westlake and Louisville have resumed their activities.
The land where the fields are located is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the bridge spans a culvert that is maintained by the city. The fields themselves are leased.
A spokesperson for Councilmember Padilla stated, “Our team has taken the lead in convening City departments and have engaged the Mayor’s Office to help accelerate coordination and solutions. While agencies work through jurisdictional and cost responsibilities, our priority is preventing unnecessary delays and advancing immediate solutions. As damage and improvement needs are evaluated, we are focused on restoring safe access, including exploring a secondary access point to improve parking safety and ADA accessibility for families and field users. Student athletes and families should not bear the burden of administrative complexity, and we are pushing for a coordinated path forward that prioritizes timely repairs and safe access.”
As efforts to remediate the situation continue, it remains crucial for all parties involved to expedite the necessary repairs and ensure safe access for the community.
