The County Department of Public Health closed a pool in Pacific Palisades on March 11 because of a complaint. No one had been in it since before the Palisades Fire.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) closed the swimming pool located at an apartment complex at 850 Haverford Avenue in Pacific Palisades, on March 11, because the pool was green.
This pool was near the center of Pacific Palisades, where all the commercial and residential buildings had been almost completely destroyed by the January 7 fire.
DHP explained in an email to Circling the News that there had been a complaint about that standing pool, so an investigator was sent to the Palisades. The pool had last been inspected in October 2021.
This report noted that “A green pool is a hazard because the pool is unsafe to swim in, if someone fell into the pool and drowned the green pool water prevents observers on the deck from locating the drowning victim, and the pool can breed mosquitos.”
There were a few apartment buildings and condominiums that escaped the Palisades Fire, including this one at 850 Haverford. Apartment manager Jeff Ridgway, who stayed and fought the fire, was asked why he thought that pool had been inspected, especially with all the standing water in residential pools. “They have a master list of pools in town, and I think it was just a bureaucratic exercise in citing polluted pools for future inspection.
“I think this might be about swimmer safety rather than toxic wastewater,” he said. “They even strapped the gate closed to prevent entry (as if).”
How many people were living in the building when the pool was inspected? One, Jeff – and his dog Abby.
Circling the News reached out to the DHP, which said that it had completed 1,114 surveys of public swimming pools in the areas of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
CTN asked how many of those pools were in the Palisades. DHP responded that “Prior to the fire there were 67 public swimming pools in the Pacific Palisades community. After the fire there are 39 active public swimming pools in the Pacific Palisades community.
“The public swimming pool at Palisades High School has not been inspected because the pool was closed in our system due to the damage to the school,” DHP said.
By going to this website click here, it not only lists the pools, but when they were last inspected, which for the majority was in 2022, except for the pool at 850 Haverford, which is listed as 874 Haverford.
Of the Palisades “public swimming pools” the majority listed were in the Highlands. For example, the Santa Ynez Rec Club swimming pool, the Santa Ynez Spa Pool and the Santa Ynez Rec wading pool are each listed individually and account for three of the 37. The Riviera Club Spa pool and the Riviera Men’s Spa are listed as two public pools.
One of the pools attributed to Pacific Palisades is not in town, but in Malibu at 22626 Pacific Coast Highway.
Another Palisades pool, the Rustic Canyon Swimming Pool, 60 years old, has been closed for at least 5 years, but it was inspected in 2020, 2022, 2023, and September 23, 2024.
The only two other pools not associated with condos or apartments are the St. Matthew’s and Camp Josepho swimming pools.
Possibly because this community lives so close to the beach or maybe because of the lack of public pools, many residents have built pools in their backyard.
Which then begs the question “why was the water in the Palisades High School pool and the pools in yards not used to fight the fires?”
Now there is pool after pool filled with ash in the burned Palisades landscape. These private pools are probably “green,” too. DHP told CTN “Pools that are not maintained or cannot be maintained due to the lack of electricity will begin growing mosquitos when temperature allows.” That too is now the homeowner’s responsibility.
Even though Rustic Canyon pool has been empty for about five years, it still has been inspected almost every year by the L.A. County Department of Public Health.
There is some point being made here, but it’s not clear to me. Please be more explicit.
Sue,
It used to be that one could request the County Ag folks to come out with mosquito fish to solve this problem.
Sue- where can we purchase those Palisades Strong caps that were being sold.
Few of us long time Palisadian want to buy one.
Thanks.
Mary,
I don’t know–and I hope whoever is selling them is giving the money back to the community.
Sue
Hi Sue,
Before Will Rogers equestrian facilities burnt to the ground , we had a small pond in our Heart pasture, this area was designed for pooling water and our sprinklers kept it full enough to support the mosquito fish that are given for free in Culver City. The Vector Control facility. Sadly the burn runoff has infiltrated the pond and over flowed into drainage culverts, most likely ending up in the ocean. These fish really did the job, keeping the mosquito larva from hatching. They multiplied over the past 3.5 years , cranes and ducks would stop in and snack. That water also supported a great toad/frog population which was a hoot watching the tadpoles evolve from eggs. The circle of life up there was spectacular. My heart is just broken, Jigsaw Farms, lost all barns, two gators, our truck and trailer, the arenas and all the tack. Just another layer of disappointment and devastation to many many lives. Thanks for listening.