Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Fire Station

If it could happen to them, what hope is there for the rest of us?

County firefighters in El Rio recently called for help when they discovered their firehouse going up in smoke, said department spokesman Joe Luna.

The station had been tented for termites when the blaze broke out near a rooftop lighting fixture underneath the cover.

The firefighters, who were staying in the chief’s quarters in an adjacent building, smelled a foul odor they thought was coming from a nearby river bottom. Further inspection revealed the burning building.

The blaze was quickly doused with the help of three other fire crews, but damage to the roof and some doors was about $20,000. No one was hurt, and the station’s equipment had been moved before the fire.

It turns out station employees had covered outdoor automatic security lights with carpet remnants before the building was tented and one of those lights came on, overheated and sparked the fire.

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In the name of charity, a red-haired Rapunzel with a badge and gun has swapped her mane for a bob.

Inspired by a late-night cable news show about young cancer victims who need wigs, Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Teresa “Tess” Salmon donated 10 inches of her thick, flowing locks to the cause.

“I’ve got hair down to my waist, and if I want to I can grow it all over again, but these little kids can’t do that,” said the bubbly 30-year-old.

On her day off last Thursday, Salmon drove to Hawthorne to have her hairdresser, Pablo, snip her ponytail, which she sealed in an envelope and mailed to a company in the Midwest that makes the wigs.

The hair probably will be used in several different wigs to be given to youngsters who have gone bald due to radiation and chemotherapy. The wig program is organized by the American Cancer Society.

For anyone who knows Salmon, the hair donation isn’t a big surprise. The four-year veteran, who works patrol in Camarillo, cares for six cats she rescued from death and often gives cash to needy families.

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The bizarre story of Lee, Linda Lou and the mysterious attack continues.

Westlake Village businessman Lee R. Mannheimer, 56, is suing the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and various cops over his claim of being falsely arrested in the beating of his former wife, Linda Lou Morrisset, 48. The action comes after a claim filed by Mannheimer against the Sheriff’s Department was rejected.

Morrisset was found in the hallway of her Camarillo home on Sept. 12, her head smashed with a blunt object. Later at a hospital, she fell into a coma; when she awoke, she named her ex-husband as the assailant, authorities said.

Well, the law swooped in and arrested Mannheimer, and the case made big news. His office and home were searched, and the custody arrangement with his children was temporarily halted.

But charges were never filed for a lack of evidence, and he was freed after five days in jail.

From the beginning, Mannheimer’s au pair, among others, has provided him with an alibi, said Mannheimer’s Pasadena attorney, John Burton.

Mannheimer, who remains a suspect, claims that the cops harassed him and violated his rights without any probable cause. The cops disagree, of course, but won’t comment on the case.

“There comes a point when it’s time to put up and shut up,” Burton said.

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Holly J. Wolcott can be reached at 653-7581 or at holly.wolcott@latimes.com