Four days after the Altadena station was closed due to airborne transmission from wildfire smoke, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday that the facility is once again fully operational.
The station narrowly escaped the flames of the Eaton Fire, but on the morning of January 8, the Eaton Fire came so close to the building on East Altadena Drive that deputies were forced to evacuate with everything they could carry.
A park across the street caught fire, and bushes around the station also caught fire. Ash poured into the front lobby, and the California state flag flying overhead was shattered by the heat from the Eaton Fire.
But after briefly moving to the nearby Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, Altadena deputies quickly returned to their usual station despite the strong smell of smoke and lack of running water.
And on Wednesday, sheriff’s officials sent an emergency message to their patrol cars, saying that days of wildfires have made Altadena’s air so toxic that they must wear masks while on duty and refrain from visiting their homes. He said the uniforms needed to be decontaminated before stepping inside.
The next day, the department received a letter from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding the employee’s complaint.
“Employees are returning to work at the station and are concerned about airborne contaminants from wildfire smoke,” the letter said.
The captain decided to temporarily close the police station later that day, but officers continued to patrol the area, enforce road closures, and chase out looters.
Speaking at City Hall on Sunday, Sheriff Robert Luna said Cal/OSHA officials were inspecting the building and expected to reopen it early this week.
Late Monday afternoon, the department announced it had installed air purifiers and restored water service to Central Station and a small building behind it.
The reopening comes nearly two weeks after deputies first responded to reports of a wildfire in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7. The wildfires killed at least 17 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and historic buildings in unincorporated Altadena and nearby Pasadena.
By Monday afternoon, state fire officials reported the 14,000-acre fire was 87% contained.
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