By Mary O’KEEFE

The Eaton Fire began on Jan. 7 at 6:18 p.m. Seventeen lives were lost, 1,074 structures – residential, commercial and others – were damaged, 9,414 structures – residential, commercial and others – were destroyed and nine firefighters were injured.

The cleanup has been massive and involved numerous agencies working together – including Los Angeles Public Works. There is no doubt this cleanup is a Herculean task; however, there is some concern about the fallout that local communities are feeling from the debris removal. 

One such community is in Sunland-Tujunga and the seemingly continuous stream of trucks that are bringing debris to the Zachau Canyon debris basin at the end of Sevenhills Drive in a local beautiful neighborhood. 

“It’s the smell,” said a resident whose home butts up directly to the debris basin. “It makes you sick.”

The smell he is talking about seems to get stronger when the winds increase. He describes it as the “smell of something burning.” 

“And now look at the street,” he added.

The street in front of his home is cracked and broken. In fact, a lot of the asphalt leading to the debris basin is cracked and broken – a condition the resident said was not the case until the trucks began arriving last month. 

The trucks are coming from the Altadena/Eaton Fire area bringing debris to this basin, which has caused a lot of concern for local residents and for the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) – specifically the Council’s president Lydia Grant. 

She has been working on the issue of the dumping since she found out about it via social media … the first time the news of the dumping was shared. 

“We were never told,” Grant said. 

And they were not. The basin is the property of Los Angeles County and controlled by LA County Public Works. Sunland-Tujunga areas are described as neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles. Not only were the residents not informed of the fire debris being dumped in their neighborhood, the Los Angeles City Council representative Monica Rodriguez was not notified. 

Kerjon Lee, chief strategic communications with LA County Public Works, confirmed there was no notification sent out from the department prior to the beginning of trucks traveling with debris from Altadena to Zachau Canyon.

“That’s an area that we really should have [notified],” Lee said of the Sevenhills neighborhood. 

He added the department’s practice is to notify neighbors, including with door hangers, in advance of trucks arriving and subsequent dumping; however, that wasn’t done. 

Public Works representatives went to a meeting of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council and apologized for the lack of communication. 

“As a standard practice we notify and get feedback from the community before trucks are rolling,” he said. 

So the community did feel blind-sided by the activity; however, that is not where the issues end. 

Grant said the community wants to know what is being dumped in the debris basin. Neighbors continue to report the intense smell, see dust rising in the air when the wind blows and water that runs down the street as crews wet down the area before they leave. 

The County has said it is just organic debris from the fire that is being dumped but several residents at a recent protest doubted that claim. Over 150 people showed up at a gathering/protest at the Zachau Canyon site at the end of Sevenhills Drive on Tuesday to voice their concerns and try to get answers as to what is being brought into their neighborhood. 

“Getting information has been really [difficult],” Grant said. 

She has reached out to the County and to Rodriguez’s office once she found out about the trucks but getting the information on what is being dumped has been difficult. 

“These trucks are driving past schools and the debris is blowing toward schools,” she said. 

There are several schools nearby including Mt. Gleason Elementary School and Verdugo Hills High School. 

Grant said the best way to find out what is being brought to the area is to test the soil. But the County did test it.

“The County came out and tested and we were there but they only tested one small area that was just [a few] feet from the front gate [of the basin],” Grant said. 

Grant added County Public Works did not go very deep into the soil for that test. 

“We were told that Public Works places a topsoil over everything before they leave so is that the test –just the topsoil?” Grant wondered.

Because of the lack of communication at the beginning of the dumping and the testing not appearing to be complete an anonymous group entered the debris facility and took samples in several areas. Their results were quite different from the County’s. 

Grant said those private tests found 42 times the acceptable amount of arsenic in the soil and over nine times more the acceptable amount in selenium.

“But my main concern is Valley Fever,” she said. 

According to the National Library of Medicine, “While coccidioidomycosis outbreaks have occurred among wild land firefighters clearing brush, it remains unknown whether fires are associated with an increased incidence among the general population.” 

Grant wants to make certain that is something that is looked into by the County. 

There have been videos of what appear to be trucks picking up Eaton Fire debris that is not organic material but contains remnants of burned structures that is taken to the Sevenhills area and to the City of Glendale Deukmejian debris basin; however, Lee said that is not what Public Works is doing. 

“I can state unequivocally that Phase II debris is not going to Zachau Sediment Placement Site,” Lee said. 

Phase II debris includes items such as chimneys, hazardous trees and ash. 

Lee said those types of toxic debris is taken to other facilities and not to Glendale or Tujunga. 

But the protesters, neighbors, STNC and Grant want testing they can witness. They want to be able to conduct independent testing in conjunction with Public Works testing. 

Councilwoman Rodriguez has also made a request for more information, specifically about the infrastructure on the roads concerning the trucks. 

Helen Chavez Garcia is a spokesperson with the office of LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

“Kathryn Barger’s expectations with operations like this with debris sediment [removal] is that the community is informed,” said Chavez Garcia.

Expediting the debris removal is her top priority but she wants to make sure the greater community stays informed what is happening, added Chavez Garcia. She has asked Public Works for a community outreach plan.

Lee said he would be contacting the STNC to discuss testing. 

CVW will continue to follow this issue. Below is information from the City of Glendale.

The City of Glendale is aware of the truck activity and sediment hauling at the Dunsmuir Sediment Placement Site/Deukmejian debris basin. Los Angeles County did distribute door hangers in neighborhoods near the debris basin. There is also an informational sheet concerning the truck activity.

Below is the City of Glendale’s online response to the issue:

What’s Happening at the Dunsmuir Sediment Placement Site
The operation you are witnessing involves hauling material to the Dunsmuir Sediment Placement Site (SPS), which is located within the City of Glendale but owned, operated, and managed by Los Angeles County. This effort is being conducted entirely under the jurisdiction of Los Angeles County Public Works, the LA County Flood Control District, and the County of Los Angeles, as part of their storm response and flood mitigation strategy as a result of build-up behind
Eaton Dam.

The material being transported includes sediment—specifically dirt, rocks, and mud — that has accumulated in debris basin due to severe erosion caused by recent wildfires and winter storms. These operations are necessary to maintain basin capacity and reduce flood risks during future weather events. The debris behind this dam is before the impacted residential and commercial burn areas and does not contain the hazardous materials.

County officials have stated:
No fire debris from the residential or commercially impacted fire areas, residential trash, or hazardous materials (such as lithium-ion batteries or heavy metals) are being hauled to the site.

The site is strictly receiving natural sediment as part of routine storm season maintenance.

Work is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with limited weekend activity only when critical for flood control.

Residents may experience increased truck traffic and periodic parking restrictions posted 48 hours in advance to ensure safety.

LA County Public Works has committed to overseeing the work for safety, cleanliness, and compliance with all traffic laws.

While this operation is not managed or initiated by the City of Glendale, we are actively engaged in oversight due to its proximity to our neighborhoods and public spaces.

In response to community concerns:
Material Verification: We are requesting clarification from LA County on how they are ensuring that only clean, non-hazardous sediment is being transported. This includes asking for testing protocols and confirmation that no post-fire debris is included.

Coordination with County: Our staff is in contact with LA County Public Works and the Flood Control District. We have elevated your concerns and are requesting full transparency regarding the material and operations.

You can find more detailed information about this project in the following official
resources:
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): [Dunsmuir-SPS-Project_FAQs-03042025-FINAL.pdf]
• Project website: Sediment Management – LA County Public Works
• Community Notice: I’ve attached the official door hanger distributed by LA County along the haul route to notify nearby residents.

If you have further questions about the hauling operation or flood control efforts, you can contact:
• Jonathan King, Assistant Area Engineer, LA County Public Works: (818) 896-0594 | JKing@pw.lacounty.gov
• LA County Public Works 24-Hour Hotline: (800) 675-4357

We would like to assure you that we are monitoring this situation closely. Even though this operation is conducted under County authority, we are committed to ensuring Glendale residents are informed, safe, and protected. Your concerns are being heard— we will continue advocating on your behalf for greater oversight and communication moving forward.

Thank you again for your email and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have additional concerns.  Similar information and updates as they become available to the City can be found at www.GlendaleFactPage.com