Burbank Firemen Rescue Part of Old L.A.

The ornate ceiling tiles in a soon-to-be demolished Reseda firehouse have found a new home at, ironically enough, another fire station.

City Councilwoman Joy Picus and her staff said Tuesday they couldn’t bear to contemplate the demolition of the pressed-tin ceiling of 56-year-old Station 73, which is to be razed by the end of the year to make room for a new facility. Picus’ aides offered the ceiling for free but worried that the laborious task of removing it would bring few takers.

But on Friday, Burbank Fire Department Capt. Gary Sutliff and five of his firefighters were in the old Reseda station on their day off, taking the ceiling apart to take it to their city.

Sutliff and other firefighters, who plan a combination firehouse and museum in Burbank, became interested in the ceiling after reading about Picus’ offer.

“Our office was inundated with calls,” said Roberta Boardman, a Picus aide who spearheaded the effort to save the ceiling. More than 100 callers “wanted a piece of it for their living rooms, kitchens, whatever,” she said, including a woman who wanted to use the ceiling in the foyer of a restored Hollywood theater.

But Picus gave the nod to Burbank, which is embarking on an $8.5-million, four-year plan to build six new earthquake-resistant fire stations. One of those stations is to be built in Victorian-style architecture, doubling as a firefighting museum.

“It fits right in with the atmosphere we’re trying to create,” Burbank City Councilwoman Mary Lou Howard said.

Built in 1931 at a cost of $21,615, the one-story, 4,000-square-foot, Spanish-style brick station at 7419 Reseda Blvd. now looks like a vacant garage. Its firefighters moved temporarily to a station in Northridge.

Earthquake standards are the main reason why the old station is being demolished to make way for a 9,000-square-foot, $1.4-million firehouse, Battalion Chief Don Grant said.

Picus said she decided Burbank should receive the ceiling tiles because they would provide a lasting, public benefit as part of that city’s museum plans.

Burbank officials are negotiating to buy a parcel of land on Olive Avenue near the Burbank Historical Society for the firehouse and museum, a project that is expected to be completed in 2 1/2 years, Howard said.