Epic Battle as Fire Crews Protect Mt. Wilson Observatory, Broadcast Towers

Firefighters battled the 44,393-acre Bobcat Fire Wednesday, seeking to prevent it from damaging the Mount Wilson Observatory and nearby broadcast towers valued at more than $1 billion.

The defense against the flames was holding, as of Wednesday morning.

Mount Wilson is not only one of the crown jewels of astronomy but also home to infrastructure that transmits cellphone signals and television and radio broadcasting for the greater Los Angeles Area.

Back fires set throughout the day Tuesday near the observatory were effective in decreasing the intensity and spread of the flames, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Most Observatory personnel were evacuated. According to a letter written by Sam Hale, chairman of the board of trustees at the Mount Wilson Institute, a skeleton crew of four maintenance staff members would be on hand to assist firefighters until ordered to leave.

A giant 530,000-gallon reservoir was topped off and ready to supply 33 high-flow water hydrants across the observatory property.

At least 12 Los Angeles County Fire Department companies readied for action at the Observatory by Tuesday morning.

Shortly after noon, the Angeles National Forest tweeted: “The #BobcatFire is within 500 ft of the Mt. Wilson Observatory & crews are in place ready to receive the fire. Strategic firing (the setting of backfires) is taking place in the south where air operations are strengthening dozerlines. Crews are working a spot fire that crossed Hwy 2 near Buckhorn.”

At about 9 p.m., the forest service tweeted “While there is still much work to be done in the southwest and in the northern sections of the fire, your firefighters did incredible work around Mt. Wilson today.”

“Assisted by the outstanding defensible space of Mt. Wilson Observatory, firefighters installed hand and dozer line – strategically fired, and dropped water creating a strong protection point for Mt. Wilson.”

Overall the fire slipped to 3% containment Tuesday (down from 6% the day before) and a 500- to 1,000-acre spot fire crossed Angeles Crest (2) Highway, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Some 1,091 firefighting personnel were engaged in the effort by Tuesday afternoon.

Another primary focus for firefighters on Tuesday was keeping the fire from reaching the foothill communities to the south. Evacuation warnings remained in place in Pasadena, Altadena, Monrovia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre and Duarte.

With the fire’s growth, Pasadena residents were advised to be ready to evacuate if flames spread their way.

Pasadena officials urged residents to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, and joined representatives of multiple foothill communities to remind residents that it is illegal to fly drones over the fire area.

“While there is no immediate threat, conditions could change rapidly, so STAY READY! Have a plan in place (including for any animals you have) and pack supplies ahead of time in case you need to evacuate,” Pasadena officials said.

An evacuation order for Sierra Madre and Arcadia residents in an area north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue remained in effect for Arcadia residents and “until further notice,” for Sierra Madre, officials said. The area includes parts of both cities.

The Arcadia Fire Department reported that 267 Arcadia homes had been evacuated and no homes were damaged by the fire.

“Multiple strike teams continue to work in the north end of the city throughout the night,” the department tweeted Tuesday night. “Moderate fire activity remains behind Wilderness Park and adjacent to homes.

“We understand that this is a difficult situation for our community, but we are Arcadia Strong.”

Sierra Madre police said 32 homes were affected by the evacuation order in their city, where the City Council unanimously approved a declaration of a state of emergency on Sunday.

A Red Cross evacuation center was established at the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. Residents were advised to enter through Gate 5. More information about the center is available at 1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767).

The Pasadena Humane Society said animal control workers would be stationed at the Red Cross evacuation zone to assist with the transport of displaced pets to the Pasadena Humane shelter.

Evacuation orders were lifted for the East Fork area, including the Camp Williams resort in Azusa, the River Community Center and Fire Camp 19, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

All roads leading into San Gabriel Canyon are closed. Highway 39 is closed north of Azusa to state Route 2, which is closed between Upper Tujunga to Big Pines.

Upper Big Tujunga Road is closed between State Route 2 and Angeles Forest Highway. Chantry Flat Road is closed. Mount Wilson Road is closed from state Route 2 to Mount Wilson.

The abnormally dry vegetation has been fueling the blaze, leading to extreme fire behavior and rapid rates of spread.

Full containment of the fire, which will be achieved by way of cleared vegetation, was not estimated until Oct. 30, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Officials had earlier estimated full containment by Oct. 15 but revised that date on Sunday.

A closure order for all National Forests in Southern California was extended to Sept. 21.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended its smoke advisory through Wednesday for most areas of Los Angeles County, even the coasts.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she has signed a proclamation declaring a local emergency in the county because of the fire and requested a state proclamation.

The Bobcat Fire erupted on Sept. 6 near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area northeast of Mount Wilson and within the Angeles National Forest. The cause remains under investigation.