Local sawmill is racing against the clock to save lumber from Altadena trees

A local specialized sawmill is racing against the clock to save lumber from Altadena trees that had to be cut down after January’s Eaton Fire.

Angel City Lumber and a group of volunteers have been working for months to find a space where the wood from damaged Altadena trees can be stored, milled and later repurposed for non-structural rebuilding applications, such as flooring and molding.

They want to keep the wood in a new “community log bank” residents can pull from.

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Jeff Perry, the sawmill’s founder, told LAist that, while there are some promising leads for places where the logs could be stored, they’re running up against a deadline from the Army Corps of Engineers and its subcontractors.

The warehouse of Angel City Lumber, a sawmill that specializes in products made from felled trees in L.A. County.

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Courtesy Jeff Perry

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The logs recovered from burnt lots are currently stored at a local golf course, but the Army Corps needs to clear out the site within weeks, which includes hauling any burnt wood away, according to Perry.

“They’re doing their best. The time clock certainly is ticking. They have started to mulch because they’ve had to,” Perry said.

He added that he’s talking with the Army Corps and subcontractors every day to give them updates.

“They’re pulling for it just as much as I am to make sure we find a spot,” Perry said.

Help wanted: Save the lumber

Perry said, ideally, he can find a space where the Altadena logs can be both stored for a period of roughly four years and milled on site.

He provided some other needs for the site:

• Industrial or light industrial zoning.
• A roughly four-acre, flat space.
• Nice to have water and power, but not necessary.

Honoring Altadena trees and their legacy 

Over the last decade, Angel City Lumber has built a business around re-sourcing local trees for things like guest houses, outdoor benches and even conference tables at Santa Monica City Hall East.

“Milling trees that had fallen in Los Angeles County as a way to honor trees and their legacy and call attention to their lives is something we’ve been doing for 10 years,” Perry said.

A mature olive tree damaged by fire.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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He said he wanted to step up for the Altadena community, and this was a clear way for his company to help better the lives of people who had lost their homes.

The plan is to try to mill the wood over a four year period, with the first batch of lumber becoming available after about a year.

Perry said he estimates that the Altadena trees, combined with wood from fallen Ponderosa pines in the Angeles National Forest, could furnish some 500 Altadena homes with lumber for use in flooring, molding, furniture and the like.

“By doing this, we’re hoping that those trees and their legacy will stay in the community. Their stories will live on, and it’ll maintain the spirit and vibe — essentially — of Altadena,” Perry said.