Burbank officials describe multi‑department wildfire response as residents press council to block rent hikes

Burbank officials told the City Council on Jan. 14 that city departments maintained emergency operations through a major wind event and subsequent regional wildfires even as residents and tenant organizers demanded local action to block post‑fire rental price increases.

At a briefing before public comment, Fire Chief Danny Alvarez said the department increased staffing and helped the region while handling far more calls than normal. "Beginning last Tuesday morning ... the fire department responded to 181 calls for service in the 24 hour period from Tuesday morning at 9 AM to Wednesday morning at 9 AM. And for perspective, in a 24 hour period, we usually average 32 calls," Chief Alvarez said. He also told council the city’s Emergency Operations Center had been activated and that Burbank had not been placed under evacuation orders.

Why it matters: Residents said the regional destruction and displacement will put severe pressure on Burbank’s rental market. Dozens of speakers during the meeting’s long public‑comment period urged the council to impose a temporary rent freeze and an emergency moratorium on no‑fault evictions to prevent what they described as immediate price gouging of units made scarce by the fires.

What officials reported - Fire response: Chief Alvarez credited interdepartmental coordination and mutual‑aid…