Advocates urge immediate action to evacuate incarcerated youth from high-risk fire zones

As devastating wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles County, advocates are calling on the public to pressure L.A. County Supervisors to take immediate action to protect 116 incarcerated youth at two juvenile detention facilities located in high-risk fire zones.

Live updates from CALÓ News staff have revealed that youth housed at Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall and Camp Kilpatrick have yet to be evacuated, despite mounting concerns over their safety. 

Local officials assert neither facility is currently within a "mandatory evacuation" zone. However, the Los Angeles Fire Department has issued a warning for the area. Nidorf Juvenile Hall, situated in Sylmar, is currently under an Evacuation Warning Level 2 due to the Hurst Fire, which has already burned approximately 700 acres and is now just half a mile north of the facility. At present, neither the city nor the fire department has designated the fire a mandatory evacuation, but the proximity of the flames raises serious safety concerns.

Emilio Zapién, an advocate with the Youth Justice Coalition called the situation “dangerous, negligent, and irresponsible behavior by LA County Probation officials and County Supervisors.” He noted that approximately 85 youth are currently detained at Nidorf, many of whom have family members desperately attempting to contact authorities about relocation plans.

“Parents of currently incarcerated children had already lost all trust and faith in probation’s ability to provide a safe or nurturing environment for their children—even without the fear of rapidly spreading wildfires,” Zapién said.

Camp Kilpatrick, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, is also at significant risk. This area has seen an increase in wildfire frequency in recent years, and this year’s fire season is already among the most destructive on record. The ongoing Palisades Fire has already destroyed more than 1,000 structures, displaced thousands of residents, and caused at least five deaths. The fire has prompted evacuations for the entire Pacific Palisades area, extending to the Pacific Ocean, with additional warnings issued for Santa Monica and Calabasas. These developments have further intensified concerns over the safety of detained youth in these fire-prone regions.

Advocates emphasize that the youth in these facilities are particularly vulnerable and urgently need to be relocated to safer areas. Given the history of abuse and mistreatment by probation staff, many family members are understandably fearful for their children's well-being, even without the added threat of a rapidly advancing wildfire.

“Today, they are understandably panicking,” Zapién said. “Family members have been calling the facility and reaching out to community partners for updates, but for the last 24 hours, they’ve been told that their loved ones will not be evacuated.”

As the fire risk intensifies, advocates are urging the public to contact their local supervisors and demand immediate action to ensure the safety of the youth detained at these facilities.