The most recent fire on Monday prompted the Park District’s decision to close the encampment in September. The city will work to connect its residents with housing before then, a spokesperson said.
The debris from a fire that broke out at Legion Park on Monday as seen on July 29, 2025. | Molly DeVore/ Block Club Chicago
NORTH PARK — The first thing Ronaldo noticed Monday morning was the smoke.
Ronaldo, who declined to share his last name, was at his makeshift home Monday along the North Shore Channel in North Park when a fire broke out at a nearby shelter. Ronaldo, who has lived along the river bank in Legion Park for about three years, said he has seen a few encampment fires, but that Monday’s was the largest.
After the fire, the Park District announced the encampment will be shut down in September. Mayoral spokesperson Cassio Mendoza said signs with the exact closure date will be posted at the encampment in the next few weeks.
“This encampment is being closed because the permanent and makeshift structures on site are unsafe. Several fires have occurred in recent months, putting residents and first responders at serious risk, especially given the lack of a nearby fire hydrant and the difficulty of accessing this wooded area,” Park District Spokesperson Michele Lemons said in a written statement. “These conditions endanger those living in the encampment but also violate the Park District’s lease agreement for Legion Park with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.”
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The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness said an encampment closure would displace people to another part of the city, “causing turmoil and disrupting community support they’ve established there.”
“The reality is there is not enough available housing to meet the needs of folks across the city,” a statement from the coalition read. “So, until the city can offer housing that sufficiently meets the needs of everyone experiencing homelessness, public spaces like parks must remain accessible to those who have no other place to stay.”
