Sheriff’s Department closes Altadena station after OSHA complaint about Eaton fire pollutants

Citing airborne pollution 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 emergency message to patrol cars, saying the air has become so toxic after days of wildfires that deputies must wear masks on the job and disinfect their uniforms before entering their homes.

On Thursday, according to sheriff’s officials, the department received a letter from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health regarding a complaint about contamination.

“Employees are returning to work at the station and are concerned about smoke in the air due to wildfire smoke,” the letter said, adding that regulators had not yet determined whether that was true and did not plan to do so at this time.

The department said it is investigating the complaint and will report to the state administration, which it has two weeks to do, according to the letter.

Suddenly the captain of the station decided to close the station as the department was working to find air purifiers, tap water and more.

The closure came a little more than a week after deputies first responded to reports of a wildfire on Jan. 7 in Eaton Canyon, which killed at least 17 people and chewed through thousands of homes, businesses and historic buildings in unincorporated Altadena and nearby Pasadena.

Even in forested areas, wildfires create large amounts of pollutants that can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory problems and other health problems. But when the fire rips through certain buildings — like a local store with buckets of paint and chemicals — the smoke contains more toxins, including lead and asbestos that sheriff’s officials warned about in a Wednesday message.

A day after it started, the Eaton fire came so close to burning down the sheriff’s station on East Altadena Drive that deputies were forced to evacuate with whatever they could carry — guns, body cameras and memorabilia from the 1948 building.

The park across the street, the bushes around the station and even the California flag flying overhead were all burned by the heat and flames.

But, after moving to the nearby Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station, deputies quickly returned to the station, even though the lack of 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 hurt by the damage they’ve seen,” Richard Pippin, president of the Assn. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy, said Friday afternoon. “They will continue to work hard to help the community in the most dire circumstances, regardless of whether they are able to get things like 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 fix.

“I really hope that our elected officials see the importance of investing in these critical infrastructure and public safety,” he added.

The Sheriff’s Department said it has provided masks to all workers working near wildfires and that goggles are available.

“Additionally, employees are mandated to wear their cotton uniforms to facilitate cleaning and reduce the risk of contamination,” sheriff’s officials said Friday. “The department continues to look at resources and equipment to ensure the safety of our personnel working on these devastating wildfires.”