Evacuation Warnings Lifted for Some SGV Communities as Bobcat Fire Tears Through Antelope Valley9/21/2020  PHOTO courtesy of the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Evacuation Warnings Lifted for Some SGV Communities as Bobcat Fire Tears Through Antelope Valley9/21/2020 PHOTO courtesy of the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The looming threat of destruction from the Bobcat Fire is largely gone for Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Arcadia and Sierra Madre after authorities lifted evacuation warnings over the weekend. The evacuation warnings were lifted at 4 p.m. September 19. The Bobcat Fire has scorched 105,345 acres and is 15 percent contained, according to the Bobcat Fire Unified Incident Command Team. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Pasadena and Altadena. More than 50 square miles have burned across the San Gabriel Mountains and has made headway into the Antelope Valley where homes and other structures have been turned to ash and rubble. The fire continues to threaten and has destroyed homes in the communities of Juniper Hills, Paradise Springs, Devil’s Punchbowl where evacuation orders remain, according to the Bobcat Fire Unified Incident Command Team. Unfortunately, homes did burn in the Antelope Valley area.
Communities near the burn area under evacuation warnings include Pasadena, Altadena and Wrightwood. For a complete list, click this link. Firefighters continued to hold special emphasis on strengthening fire lines around the Mount Wilson observatory, which is still standing even as the bobcat fire continues to move westward. Southerly winds, sometimes gusting to 20 miles per hour up canyon and 30 miles per hour at the ridges, helped to drive intense fire activity in the San Gabriel Mountains wilderness area. Wind intensity is expected to remain unchanged today. An evacuation center for residents is located at Palmdale high school, 2317 East Ave. R. The Antelope Valley fairgrounds, 2551 W. Avenue H in Lancaster, are open to accommodate large animals.  PHOTO from the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The Bobcat Fire continues to churn its way through the San Gabriel Mountains and has burned 44,393 acres, authorities said Tuesday night. As the fire continues to burn westward towards Mount Wilson and northbound across Angeles Crest Highway, activity on the eastern flank has lessened to the point where mountain residents and workers east of San Gabriel Canyon Road have been allowed back. Fire activity near San Gabriel Canyon Road has diminished to the point where authorities gave residents of the Camp Williams area the opportunity to return home. The burn scar created by the Ranch 2 Fire is helping to keep flames west of the road. The occupants of River Community Rehab and Camp 19 along East Fork Road have also returned, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire remains 3 percent contained. The infrastructure at the Mount Wilson observatory property remains standing after very diligent work by firefighters who strategically burned away problematic vegetation in the nearby area. Established fire lines created by bulldozers were complemented by fire fighting operations from the air, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The already established defensible space around the Mount Wilson Observatory also greatly helped in keeping flames away from the historical site. Simultaneously, firefighters continued their diligent work on maintaining fire lines on the southern flank of the fire where homes nestled in the foothills of Arcadia and Monrovia stand. Residents of Monrovia likely saw fire activity near the Sawpit Dam and Spanish Canyon areas Tuesday night as firefighters strategically burn vegetation to strengthen defensible space. Despite firefighters’ efforts, a spot fire jumped north of Angeles Crest Highway and burned 500 to 1000 acres Tuesday. The spot fire was eventually extinguished, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Evacuation orders were issued for residents in the area north of Angeles Crest North and between Clear Creek Station and San Gabriel Canyon Road., the U.S. Forest Service said. Residents and business owners that live in the East Fork area between Highway 39 to the west and Glendora Mountain Road to the east can access their community through Glendora Mountain Road in Glendora, the U.S. Forest Service said. Residents of Arcadia and Sierra Madre neighborhoods north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue are still under mandatory evacuations. A Red Cross evacuation center is available at Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Dr., in Arcadia. Enter through Gate 5. Call 1-800-675-5799 for more information.  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.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor AZUSA - Unstable, humid air from Tropical Storm Genevieve may create flash flood hazards as firefighters make gains on the Ranch 2 Fire containment Sunday.
All flanks of the fire remain stable and acreage did not increase overnight. The fire has scorched 4,237 acres and is 63 percent contained, according to the US Forest Service. While the chance of rain in the fire area is only 10 percent, crews remain vigilant as heavy rain may impact trails, access roads and communities below the mountains, the US Forest Service said. Crews continue to work the rugged mountain terrain, seeking out pockets of heat. The western edge of the fire remains a challenge, with persistent heat generated by the weather and the terrain making containment difficult. 412 personnel remain on scene, along with four water tenders, one fixed-wing aircraft, seven engines, four hand crews and three helicopters, according to the US Forest Service.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - An aggressive attack kept the Dam Fire above Azusa from burning out of control Thursday.
Roughly 300 acres have burned near the Morris Dam along Highway 39. The fire scorched heavy brush as it moved north away from the foothills. People were evacuated north of Morris Dam up to Crystal Lake Road. Highway 39 into the Azusa Canyon will remain closed until Sunday, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station. Non-residents will not be allowed up the mountain past El Encanto Restaurant, according to the Azusa Police Department. The fire was first dispatched just before 1:30 p.m. July 30. Firefighters from the US Forest Service and Los Angeles County Fire Department worked for suppress the flames.  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 - The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate a crash on a mountain road above Azusa that left a motorcycle rider with broken bones.
The crash occurred February 15 on Highway 39 south of North Fork Road just before 1 p.m. The rider was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for his injuries. Charges may be considered once the investigation is concluded. No one has been arrested yet, according to Rodrigo Jimenez of the California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Office. The motorcycle rider was southbound on Highway 39 at mile marker 28.89. A black BMW was headed northbound when the driver pulled away at high speed from another vehicle recording it, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch. The BMW driver, a 19-year-old Los Angeles resident, sideswiped a Chrysler 300 while making a turn and slammed head-on into a Yamaha motorcycle as the BMW crossed into opposing lanes, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.
In the video, the Yamaha is thrust backwards by the impact with the BMW, The Yamaha was hit from behind by a Hyundai Veloster, projecting it into the air just above the motorcycle rider who somersaulted in the air before hitting the pavement. The BMW then struck the front of the Ford Mustang.
Initially, medics determined the 25-year-old motorcycle rider from Santa Ana suffered a fractured right hand and a fractured right leg which also suffered lacerations and abrasions. “I’m very surprised he survived,” Jimenez said of the motorcycle rider. “I’m sure, had he not been wearing a helmet, it would have ended up being a fatality.” SGV CityWatch reached out to the rider, but he has not returned a request for an interview. The driver of the Veloster, a 21-year-old from Huntington Beach, received abrasions to his left shoulder and abdomen, Jimenez said, who cautioned about unnecessary driving habits on mountain roads. “Those roads are nice, right? The scenery is great, but at the end of the day it’s everyone’s responsibility to drive safe,” Jimenez said. “It’s not a racetrack, it’s not a closed course. If you leave your lane, you’re putting other lives at risk.”  PHOTO courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - 20 U.S. Forest Service firefighters who spent nearly one month suppressing the devastating wildfires alongside the Victoria Rural Fire Service will return home Wednesday. The 20 local firefighters deployed as part of an effort to assist in extinguishing the Australian wildfires, which to date have killed an estimated 1 billion animals, killed more than 30 people and burned more than 27 million acres. “All of us on the forest, and I know their families are proud of the hard work our dedicated firefighters have accomplished while in Australia,” said Angeles Fire Chief Robert Garcia. “We look forward to hearing and learning from their experiences abroad.”
After arriving at Los Angeles International Airport, the firefighters will be taken to Los Angeles Fire Department Station 5 where they will be reunited with loved ones.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS - Firefighters transported a victim to an area trauma center after apparently hanging himself in the San Gabriel Mountains February 2. The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. near some cabins along Highway 39 at mile marker 24.51. The victim was cut down by people described by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station Lieutenant Ed MacKenzie as friends.
According to U.S. Forest Service radio traffic, the victim fell and struck his head on a rock after falling. He was unconscious and exhibited labored breathing as U.S. Forest Service firefighters treated him. Patient care was transferred to Los Angeles County Firefighters who transported the victim by helicopter to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. The patient’s status is not known. |
Archives
September 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed