Elevated lead levels in soil tests close 2 Pasadena ballpark infields
Baseball infields at two Pasadena parks are closed after soil samplings testing the environmental impacts from the Eaton Fire, found elevated lead levels in the soil.
The city of Pasadena said Friday that soil testing is needed where children are more likely to play in or on exposed soil.
City officials said sampling done in two neighborhoods revealed lead levels above 80 parts per million, which does not require cleanup or remediation but does need monitoring.
The closed baseball infields are at Washington and Victory parks. Those who wish to use the infields will be redirected to turf fields.
Children can be exposed to lead in lead-contaminated soil by prolonged skin contact, swallowing it or breathing it in – and it can also be tracked indoors from shoes or clothing.
Officials warn that children under 6 years old are more vulnerable because they are more likely to put their hands in their mouths after touching soil or even eat it.
Further soil testing is to take place at Robinson Park, Hamilton Park and Alice's Dog Park – the parks will remain open during testing.
"We are taking proactive steps to help ensure that our parks are safe for all visitors, especially young children who are most vulnerable to lead exposure," said Koko Panossian, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.
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Manpreet Kaur: 'Well, I trust that our Bakersfield Fire Department is prepared and has the training. But at the same time, like any other department, there are needs. And we have master plan for our parks department; we have master plan even within water. It is upon us also to plan and master plan for the rest of our departments.' She added, 'I feel like an area of growth for us is making sure we can plan ahead. And that's with every single department.' Mayor Goh agreed: 'This is our effort to continue to improve.' And so, began the conversation — how prepared are our city and county fire departments for a major wildfire? Bakersfield FD receives 3 new engines Both have emergency operation plans based off the city and county's hazard mitigation plans and risk assessments that we understand our town's distinct fire challenges. Like wildland-urban interface areas — areas where man-made structures intersect with open grassland and vegetation. 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Albertson continued, 'It's about creating a fire wise community, about having defensible space, about having responsible occupants in those structures to make sure that they are the most protected as they can. So, when firefighters get to those neighborhoods and get to those houses, they have an opportunity to make a good save.' When it comes to the ability of our first responders to combat fires — small or large — there are recurring resident concerns. A big one is response time. 'For the city of Bakersfield, we actually have in our General Plan for the city, a response time and that's what we base our station locations off of,' explained Chief Albertson. 'So, when we take a look at a new station, we'll look at or incorporate our GIS team to say, hey, where is the average response time out from the station? Where do we need a new station? Where do we need additional resources and where would they be most effective?' And there are plans to add to the City's 14 fire stations, especially in fast-growing neighborhoods, like in the southwest. Never miss a story: Make your homepage 'We are actually in the process of doing a survey with the International Association of Firefighters, and that's what we're taking a look at,' noted Albertson. 'We're taking a look at where resources would best be positioned throughout the city, making sure that we do have the proper coverage, making sure that if there is going to be some growth, where that growth should be and what that growth should be.' But at the county level, there's a lot more land to cover — including remote areas. Jenny Huh: 'So, for residents in those areas who do worry that response time does get delayed or longer, what do you say about the operations and the strategies that your department implements?' Chief Aaron Duncan: 'Well, we always have a robust response plan no matter what. And like speaking to Boron specifically — and I've worked in that station — is in the heart of the city. So, we can get anywhere within five minutes, you know, you'll get that first engine on scene and then your help is coming from Cal City, Mojave.' Duncan added, 'So, you have to be strategic and put the stations where the communities are, where the people are. But also, you can't leave giant gaps in the county, which will extend response time. So, we have to have stations in certain areas that may not be so populated, but we also can't have long response times. So, they're strategically placed geographically, everywhere throughout the county.' Smoke from climate-fueled wildfires contributed to thousands of deaths over 15 years: Study Kern County Fire Department Chief Aaron Duncan is the County's Director of Emergency Services and local Cal Fire Chief. He's the top acting official in any emergency. 'It's not just the fires. It's the earthquakes, it's the floods, it's the all-risk component that we have throughout the county,' Duncan said. Chief Duncan said the allocation of equipment to KCFD's 47 fire stations depends on need. 'What's the risk to that community? So, for example, out in Taft, we have a ladder truck and that was purchased long time ago because we know we have a lot of oil fields, high towers out there that that we need that equipment for. So, you know your places strategically to where your specific risks are. Same thing with downtown, east Bakersfield. We have a lot more robust, you know, more common fire stations in that area because that's where heavier population is.' Some of KCFD's equipment include: 58 engines 6 ladder trucks 5 crew buggies 6 bulldozers 4 water tenders 2 helicopters Whereas BFD equipment includes: 14 fire engines 3 ladder trucks 3 type-3 engines — smaller fire engines with 4×4 capabilities 3 type-6 engines — used for wildland fires due to off-road and water pumping capabilities In firefighting, there are federal, state and local jurisdictions. For Kern County and Bakersfield, the fire departments collaborate via a Joint Powers Agreement. 'There's never confusion on where the fire is because the fire is where it is. And then just the closest resources go,' said Albertson. 'The dispatchers are actually both city and county dispatchers. It's the same facility. We'll actually have city dispatchers dispatching county equipment and county dispatchers dispatching city equipment. So, they're very familiar. There is never, ever any confusion on that.' Albertson said, 'Rarely do we have a large incident, in fact, hardly ever do we have a large incident here in the metro area where both departments aren't on it. We work together on a daily basis. And when I when I say daily, I mean multiple times a day.' Duncan nodded in agreement: 'We want the closest fire equipment to go to the call … It's all about getting fire service on scene as fast as we possibly can.' Sometimes, it's all agencies on deck. 'When you're talking about a Borel, when you're talking about an Erskine, when you're talking about, hundreds of homes being burned up, that's not a one-department show. You need help,' Chief Duncan underscored. 'And that's what's great about the fire service. It's all hands-on deck. So, if you look at Borel, we have assistance from Ventura County, L.A. County, L.A. City, every fire agency in the state was coming down to help us.' Kern County is part of the state Office of Emergency Services' Inland operation area — Mutual Aid Region V, alongside Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties. 'We have op areas, we have the whole state cut into op areas,' Chief Duncan detailed. 'So, all we have to do is reach out. I need this many strike teams from the north part of the county. I need this many strike teams from Southern California, and they just start sending. We give aid, just like we did to L.A. and they give aid back.' He further noted, 'And then we can reach out and tap our neighbors, which would be Southern California, the coastal areas. We have master mutual aid agreements with most departments. We can reach out to anybody.' Water was yet another pressing issue as first responders tackled the Palisades and Eaton fires. 17 News asked the fire chiefs if we could also see issues with water availability. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Yes, our fire hydrants do have water,' Chief Albertson stated. 'And not only that, but both of our departments work with Cal Water here in the metro area to make sure that pressures are appropriate in those areas. When we get large fires, one of the things we do is we contact Cal Water and say, hey, we may need to boost the pressure, and they'll boost the pressure for us. That's something they can do within minutes of being contacted when we're talking water systems.' But for a massive fire? 'I will say there's not a water system out there that is designed to have 100 fire engines hooked up to it and be able to flow 1500 gallons a minute out of every single one,' Albertson said. Though, he emphasized, 'our water system is robust. There is water in the system, and we are very familiar with using it and how to supplement those pressures when needed.' At the county level, there aren't hydrants in each corner. That's something first responders need to keep in mind. 'I don't think it causes a delay because we plan for that,' Chief Duncan said with confidence. 'So, we have a station out in, let's say, Golden Hills, right? Maybe they may not have the most robust water system, but the crews that work in that area, they know that area. They know where their closest water source is. We train every day on how to get water.' He further commented, 'So, that means I'm drafting water out of the pool in your backyard. If I'm taking water out of a canal, if I'm doing a tanker shuttle with three different engines, they're prepped for that area. There's not one piece of dirt in this county that they haven't looked at and said, okay, we're going to need to order water tenders for this area.' Budget, yet another point of contention between former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley and city officials. For the Bakersfield Fire Department, its budget has increased steadily over the past few years — from $41 million in 2019 to about $64 million last fiscal year. Vice Mayor Kaur said this is yet another area that can benefit from a master fire plan. 'It will indicate what our needs are,' she said. 'When we budget, then, we have different funding sources. One example is PSVS, and that's our Measure N money. That has been able to take us further into meeting needs that the City wasn't able to meet before Measure N existed.' Measure N is the City of Bakersfield's voter-approved one-cent sales tax, which passed in 2018. On that, BFD Interim Chief Albertson added, 'The public safety vital services measure revolves around sales tax and then the city, the general fund revolves around sales tax, property taxes and, of course, grants and things like that that help provide some additional funds for us to be where we are right now.' Kaur and Mayor Goh said where the priority is, City funding will go. 'Other councilmembers also echoed the sentiment that this was a need and felt [a master fire plan] was urgent as well. So that really helps, and it sends a signal to city management that other constituents and other councilmembers agree this should be prioritized.' Borel Fire now the largest fire in Kern history: Kern County FD For the Kern County Fire Department, its budget ranged from about $115 million to $180 million for the past decade or so. Since the passing of Measure K — the county's voter-approved one-cent sales tax in 2022 — KCFD's budget exceeded the $200 million mark. 'Currently our budget is $220 million,' began KCFD Chief Duncan. 'I'd say three years ago we were $180 million. So, we are growing, and we've added through Measure K and through our property tax growth. It's been phenomenal for Kern County. We see about $20 million out of Measure K every year. It's allowed us to put our medical units on the in the field. This allows for our squads in the field to start increase revenues that we're getting from Cal Fire and other agencies. That's allowed us to make our wildland program more robust.' Meantime, BFD, KCFD and the city of Bakersfield's efforts toward a master fire plan continue. The public will be asked to weigh in on the coming drafts. 'I think if you ask any fire chief or any leader, if could they use more personnel? Certainly, yeah, but we have personnel to address any emergency we have here in the metro area,' Albertson stated. 'If we were overconfident, we wouldn't train as much as we did,' he remarked. 'In my mind and in our firefighters' minds, we're humble public servants.' Residents can stay alert by signing up for ReadyKern, the county-wide emergency notification system. 'We be aware, that we be alert and that we be notified … If we're told to evacuate, it's important for us to do so that we don't have to have our firefighters rescuing us from the emergency because we haven't done what we need to be doing,' Mayor Goh said of residents' individual responsibilities. It's hot. It's dry. It's our fire season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
