Altadena salon struggles to stay open amid wildfire-tainted water supply

Though it survived the devasting Eaton Fire, an Altadena hair salon remains closed as the owner continues to wait for his utilities to be restored. 

Lynn Lawrence is at his beauty salon at the corner of East Altadena Drive and Lake Avenue every day at 6 a.m.

"I'm the oldest tenant in this complex," Lawrence said. 

He opened Lawrence and Colbert in 1978 with one thought in mind. 

"What I wanted to do was to bring the Beverly Hills atmosphere to Altadena," Lawrence said. 

From press and curls to relaxers and braids, the salon does it all. 

"They come every two weeks, without fail," Lawrence said. 

However, those regular appointments stopped coming through the doors when the Eaton Fire sparked in January. While the salon survived the flames, Lawrence hasn't been able to reopen. 

"There's no way to even shampoo hair without water," he said. 

Since January, Las Flores Water Company hasn't been able to provide clean water to its customers. In its February update, the utility provider estimated that water restoration would be completed by the week of March 10. 

Without water and clients, Lawrence still has to pay the rent. While he got a small business loan, that money will dry up soon. 

"The maintenance crew has a family. They have to eat too," he said. "So, I'm paying them to clean a place that's not dirtied every day."

The closure bears a striking similarity to the pandemic-era shutdown, something Lawrence is trying to recover from. 

"Had to pay back rent," he said. I had to sign a promissory note for that."

The water company now thinks it can restore water by mid-April, a deadline Lawrence doesn't think he can make. The thought of having to let go of his 43-year-old business, operators and clients is heartbreaking. Nonetheles, Lawrences is hoping for a miracle so he can schedule his regulars again. 

"It's tough," he said. "I think my purpose is to fight until the war is over, to fight as long as I can."