On the morning of Sunday, September 29, 2024, a volunteer at Eaton Canyon came across a lit candle in dry brush while removing trash deep within the park. The candle was discovered within a peculiar assortment of discarded items, including crab legs, a slice of sausage, and potatoes. The volunteer promptly extinguished the flame and searched the area for additional candles. There is no word on who is responsible for the careless and highly dangerous act.

Los Angeles County law (§ 326.13) prohibits the use of open flame devices in hazardous fire areas, including items like lighters. In cases like this, individuals found responsible for starting a wildfire at Eaton Canyon could face charges of criminal negligence. This term refers to behavior that disregards an obvious risk or the safety of others, often described by courts as recklessness—where a person acts far outside the bounds of what a reasonable individual would do under similar circumstances. If any deaths are caused by such wildfire, charges of second degree murder can be handed down.

This incident occurs during what is quickly shaping up to be a worse than average year for wildfires in Southern California. The #BridgeFire has already consumed nearly 55,000 acres of the Angeles National Forest. According to the National Forest Service, about 85% of all wildfires are caused by human activity.

Eaton Canyon last burned in the 1993 Kinneloa Fire, which was caused by a unattended illegal campfire at a small pine forest along the Mt. Wilson Toll road at the intersection with the Walnut Canyon Trail. That wildfire destroyed the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, 118 homes lining the canyon, and indirectly killed 3 people. Enormous amounts of brush, such as the area photographed below, have built up in the canyon over the past 31 years since the fire.

On the afternoon of September 6, 2024, at approximately 2:30 PM, the Altadena Mountain Rescue Team (AMRT) responded to a hiker in distress near the Chuck Ballard Memorial Bridge. The hiker, suffering from heat illness, was extracted and is expected to recover.

The first week of September 2024 brought yet another significant heat wave to Southern California, with temperatures across many coastal valleys soaring into the 110s Fahrenheit. In lower Eaton Canyon, where Southern California Edison installed multiple weather stations in 2020 as a part of their controversial Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) program, high temperatures ranged from 111°F to 113°F. Henninger Flats, in comparison, recorded slightly cooler but still scorching highs of 107°F to 109°F. Old town Pasadena likely tied its record for hottest afternoon in 117 years of weather record keeping after reaching 115°F.

Heat illnesses are serious conditions that can escalate rapidly if not addressed. Symptoms include:

• No sweating
• Confusion or disorientation
• Limping or difficulty walking
• Shortness of breath
• Vomiting
• Throbbing headache
• Pale skin
• Unconsciousness

Heat stroke, the most severe form of heat illness, is a medical emergency that can be lethal. If you suspect someone is experiencing heat stroke, immediately call 9-1-1.