 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Ground crews continue to make progress on a fire that charred several acres of brush in steep terrain Sunday afternoon.
Hot Shot crews with the US Forest Service and crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department worked on the ground to construct a containment line. Support came from the air in the form of several water dropping helicopters and a plane dropping red Phos-Chek. The fire is 50 percent contained and has burned roughly 5 acres as of Sunday night. Firefighters were dispatched to Santa Anita Canyon Road well into the steep terrain of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument just after 3:30 p.m., Sunday, July 2. The steepness and remoteness of the terrain made it a challenge to battle the fire. Incidentally, the Chantry Fire ignited in the burn scar of the Bobcat Fire  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Nearly 38,300 acres have burned in the San Gabriel Mountains since the Bobcat Fire ignited eight days ago and containment figures are dwindling closer to zero.
Fire growth has outpaced containment, forcing firefighters to downgrade the long-standing 6 percent containment they fought to maintain and are reporting the fire is now only 3 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A main focus for firefighters over Monday night is to strategically set back fires within the Chantry Flats area above Arcadia and Sierra Madre when opportunities permit, the U.S. Forest Service said. Not only are homes in Arcadia and Sierra Madre in harm’s way, but the Mt. Wilson Observatory and nearby radio transmission towers stand to succumb to the insatiable fire. “The fire crossed a dozer line and is burning on the ridge line above the east side of Little Santa Anita Canyon,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. “Fire activity was heavy on the west side near Winter Creek and the Santa Anita Wash with fire progressing 3/4 of the way up to the Mt. Wilson ridge line.” All personnel from the Mount Wilson observatory have evacuated the property. A mandatory evacuation order remains in effect for an unknown duration for the neighborhoods in Arcadia east of Santa Anita Avenue and north of Elkins. About 305 homes were evacuated.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – The stubborn Bobcat Fire tearing its way through the San Gabriel Mountains is 6 percent contained Friday, the U.S. Forest Service said. 26,368 acres have burned in the steep, rugged mountain terrain since the fire’s inception five days ago. 540 firefighters from surrounding agencies, assisted by helicopters and some fixed-wing aircraft, continue to focus work on the south and north flanks of the fire that continue to grow. Firefighters achieved containment on the eastern flank where the Bobcat Fire ran into the burn scar etched by the Ranch 2 Fire, the U.S. Forest Service said. Two air tankers were able to perform drops of fire retardant Thursday after dense smoke on the south flank above Monrovia lifted. A helicopter and two groups of camp crews were also sent to bolster fire lines there, the U.S. Forest Service said. Overnight, two Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopters equipped with night vision were able to tend to flames on the south flank.
Winds continue to push the fire north towards Crystal Lake. Flames have reached the into the upper ridges near Angeles Crest Highway where fire retardant line have been laid by aircraft, the U.S. Forest Service said. Ground crews will continue to patrol the foothill communities and conduct structure protection and triage efforts, the U.S. Forest Service said. The City of Monrovia has established road blocks along planned evacuation routes and bolstered the areas with additional police patrols to push non-residents and unnecessary traffic out of the area, Monrovia city officials said. Unnecessary vehicle traffic created what Monrovia officials considered public safety concerns and apparently even delayed fire trucks from being able to move from location to location, Monrovia city officials said. Firefighters estimate the Bobcat Fire may be contained by October 15. Zero Containment: Bobcat Fire Chars Nearly 24,000 Acres, Burns Deeper Towards Crystal Lake9/10/2020  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Weather conditions and poor visibility are keeping firefighters from gaining an upper hand on the Bobcat Fire.
23,890 acres have burned in the parched and steep terrain of the San Gabriel Mountains since the fire’s inception four days ago. Firefighters have 0 percent containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service. More than 530 firefighters continue to work on keeping the fire from spreading further south. On the bright side, voluntary evacuation orders for Sierra Madre and Arcadia were lifted Thursday. However, Arcadia residents north of Foothill Boulevard and East of Pasadena remain under evacuation warnings. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, Bradbury and Duarte Mesa. The Angeles National Forest remains closed for recreation. Overnight, the Bobcat Fire jumped San Gabriel Canyon Road as it burned heavily northeast. Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2) is closed eastbound from Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Big Pines. San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) is closed at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road, according to Caltrans. The fire has cast a morbid orange haze over the Southland as the smoke mixes with cloud cover. An unending drizzle of ash and dirt from the burn site continues to sprinkle over the urban landscape. Burning up is mostly old-growth chaparral and tall grass in areas with little to no fire record. Firefighters have no estimate on containing the fire.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The stubborn Bobcat Fire surpassed 10,000 acres Tuesday.
So far, 10,344 acres have burned. Firefighters have yet to set any containment figures on the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A Red Flag warning, which went into effect at Noon Tuesday, remains in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 8 for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Cities that could face great danger should Santa Ana winds drive the fire further south now include Pasadena and Altadena, in addition to Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia and Sierra Madre. Arcadia officials announced Tuesday night that residents north of Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita Avenue should consider voluntarily evacuating. “Although there is no immediate threat of fire to Arcadia residences at this time, predictive modeling of both the weather and the Bobcat Fire suggests that circumstances could become more concerning overnight,” Arcadia officials said in a written statement. Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto has issued a Declaration of Local Emergency allowing for emergency provisions to be enacted in response to the fire. The Red Cross has established a temporary evacuation point at Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Gate 5, in Arcadia. It is now open for anyone affected by the Bobcat Fire. COVID-19 safety measures are in place & Red Cross volunteers are ready to help evacuees into safe lodging, the Red Cross announced. A hotline has been established at 626-574-5463 for the most current and up-to-date information regarding the fire’s impact on Arcadia. Fire crews in Monrovia performed preventative work Tuesday, cleaning hazardous vegetation, per-treating areas and improving access points in the event flames reach foothill neighborhoods, according to Monrovia city officials. Containment has been made even more laborious due to poor visibility and the treacherous terrain. The Bobcat Fire is burning in steep terrain of the West Fork area of the San Gabriel drainage. Flames continue to move north into the wilderness and south towards Mt. Bliss.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Multiple agencies worked to suppress a brush fire that ignited in the mountains above Arcadia Monday. Firefighters from the US Forest Service, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Arcadia Fire Department, Monrovia Fire Department, Pasadena Fire Department, Sierra Madre Fire Department and Glendale Fire Department held the brush fire to seven acres.
The fire was first dispatched just before 12:30 p.m. July 20. No structures were threatened. Sierra Madre firefighters were first on scene, according to the Sierra Madre Fire Department. There were a number of hikers in the area when the fire ignited near the restroom area at Chantry Flats. The hikers were asked to shelter in place during the fire fight, according to the US Forest Service. The cause is under investigation.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A handful of mountain roads will be closed ahead of the Independence Day holiday. Glendora Mountain Road north of Big Dalton Road to East Fork Road and Glendora Ridge Road from Glendora Mountain to Mt. Baldy Road will close Wednesday, July 3 at 4 p.m. The roads are expected to reopen Friday, July 5 at 10 a.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The above road closures will not affect pedestrian, bicycle or horse traffic. Chantry Flat Road will close Wednesday, July 3 at 8 p.m. and is expected to reopen the morning of July 5, Sierra Madre Police said. Monrovia Canyon Park, 1200 N. Canyon Blvd., will be closed July 3 through July 5, the City of Monrovia said.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The California Department of Fish & Wildlife will relocate the bear and cub involved in a confrontation June 10 after determining the mother bear was defending her offspring. The mother bear, referred to as a sow, was protecting her cub and not acting abnormally aggressive. The CDFW is in the process of releasing both the sow and cub back to suitable habitat near where they were captured, the CDFW announced Wednesday. The dog of a resident in the 500 block of Hermosa Avenue allegedly attacked the bear cub Monday in the resident’s yard, prompting the sow to defend her cub. The resident kicked the sow after it injured the dog. The resident was scratched and bit on his legs, according to Interim Sierra Madre Police Chief Jim Hunt. “CDFW biologists concluded the bear acted in defense of itself and its cub, which constitutes normal behavior,” the CDFW said. The resident and dog are recovering from their injuries.
Both the sow and cub were tranquilized and removed from the scene. A DNA analysis taken from the man and the sow helped confirm the captured bear was the same involved in the confrontation, the CDFW said. Scientists also confirmed the bear in the June 10 incident was not the same involved in an April 24 incident when an 84-year-old transient living in the Sierra Madre foothills was attacked. “CDFW reminds Californians that much of the state is bear country, even Los Angeles County, one of the most populated counties in the United States,” the CDFW said. To learn more on how to coexist with wildlife, visit KeepMeWild.org. Email Newsletter! | Advertise! | Donate! |
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