Citing air pollutants and a lack of running water, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department closed the Altadena sheriff's station Thursday after the Eaton fire.
A day earlier, sheriff's officials sent an urgent message to patrol cars saying the air had become so toxic after days of wildfires that officers should wear masks on the job and disinfect their uniforms before entering their homes.
Then on Thursday, the department received a letter from the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health regarding a complaint about contamination, according to sheriff's officials.
“Employees are returning to work at the station and are concerned about air pollutants from wildfire smoke,” the letter said, adding that regulators have not yet determined whether that is true and have not scheduled an inspection at this time .
The department said it is investigating the complaint and will report to state regulators, which it has two weeks to do, according to the letter.
Meanwhile, the station manager decided to close the station as the department worked to obtain air purifiers, running water and other essentials.
The closure came a little more than a week after deputies first responded to reports of a Jan. 7 wildfire in Eaton Canyon that killed at least 17 people and damaged thousands of homes, businesses and historic buildings in unincorporated Altadena and the were destroyed in nearby Pasadena.
Even in forested areas, wildfires produce a variety of pollutants that can lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory illnesses and other health problems. But when flames pass through certain other buildings – such as the local hardware store with its buckets of paint and chemicals – the smoke contains additional toxins, including lead and asbestos, which sheriff's officials warned about in Wednesday's statement.
A day after it started, the Eaton fire came so close to burning down the sheriff's station on East Altadena Drive that officers were forced to evacuate the building with everything they could carry – weapons, body cameras and memorabilia from the building 1948.
The park across the street, the bushes surrounding the train station, and even the California flag flying overhead burned in the heat and flames.
But after initially moving to the nearby Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, officers soon returned to the station, although the lack of running water meant they had to use portable toilets set up in the parking lot.
“As someone who has worked at the Altadena Sheriff's Station for years, I can tell you that the deputies assigned there are emotionally invested in the community and are heartbroken by the devastation they have witnessed,” said Richard Pippin, president of the Assn. a Los Angeles sheriff's deputy said Friday afternoon. “They will continue to work tirelessly to help the community in terrible conditions, whether or not they have access to running water and electricity.”
But, the union president continued, the sheriff's station — along with the fire station and schools — should be one of the first things to be repaired.
“I sincerely hope that our elected officials recognize the importance of investing in these critical pieces of infrastructure and the safety of the public,” he added.
The Sheriff's Department said it has provided masks to all employees working near wildfires and has goggles to protect eyes.
“In addition, staff have been permitted to wear their cotton uniforms to facilitate cleaning and minimize the risk of contamination,” sheriff’s officials said Friday. “The department continues to explore resources and equipment to ensure the safety of our personnel working on these devastating wildfires.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.