Bobcat Fire Grows to Nearly 24,000 Acres, Continues Moving Northeast

The Bobcat Fire had grown to 23,890 acres in size Thursday as winds continued pushing it to the northeast, deeper into the forest and away from communities, although officials continued urging residents to stay alert in case the winds should change direction, authorities said.

The 37-square-mile wildfire was 6% contained along its eastern end, where it ran up against the burn scar of the Ranch 2 Fire, U.S. Forest officials said. Firefighters have made headway in building fire barriers between the flames and foothill communities since the wildfire first erupted Sunday afternoon near Cogswell Reservoir.

Firefighter’s priority remained trying to make sure the flames did not reach homes in the foothill communities, of Pasadena, Altadena, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Duarte and Bradbury, where residents have been warned to be prepared for potential evacuation orders on short notice, if they become necessary, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

But the Bobcat Fire was only one of many burning across the state on Thursday, and firefighting resources were being spread thin.

“Containment dates are dependent on resource availability,” USFS incident commanders said in a written statement. “Currently there are limited resources for fires statewide.”

Just over 530 firefighters were working at the Bobcat Fire on Thursday, down from more than 650 on Wednesday.

“Heavy fire activity” was seen at the fire’s northwest flank overnight, USFS officials said Thursday.

“Winds pushed the fire east where it crossed Hwy 39, where fire crews were able to make good progress,” according to the USFS statement. “Aside from fire growth in the northeast, fire behavior remained moderate with active runs and spotting.”

The flames hit a dead end at the western edge of the fire when they burned up to an old burn scar near the West Fork drainage, officials said.

“Fire operations will take advantage of favorable wind conditions to focus on protecting the foothill communities as those remain a priority,” the statement continued. “Today, fire management will transition to a Type 1 [regional] incident management team to allow greater access to additional fire and overhead resources. Local fire departments will continue to conduct structure protection planning and triage efforts within the foothill communities.”

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.