What to Know
- The nearly 39,000-acre Bobcat Fire burning in the mountains northeast of LA is blanketing Mount Wilson in thick smoke.
- The Mount Wilson Observatory, closed due to the pandemic, has been evacuated as firefighters defend the SoCal landmark.
- Founded in 1904, the Observatory became the world’s foremost astronomical research facility.
Firefighters are working to defend the historic Mount Wilson Observatory Tuesday as a wildfire that has burned for more than a week in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles threatens the Southern California landmark.
Smoke could be seen drifting over the Observatory, which was already closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Staff members were evacuated as the Bobcat Fire reached nearly 39,000 acres near the peak, which is also home to broadcast towers.
“The #BOBCATFIRE is knocking on our door,” according to a tweet from the Observatory’s account. “Fire officials predicted that the fire would approach Mt. Wilson from Echo Rock. It looks like they are correct.”
Backfires are being set to rid the area of dry vegetation, providing a defensible space for firefighters to protect the peak. Fire engines were in place near the observatory, the U.S. Forest Service said.
The Observatory offers views of several live cameras showing the view from the peak overlooking the San Gabriel Valley.
The Mount Wilson Observatory, which also was threatened by the September 2009 Station Fire, was founded in 1904 by George Ellery Hale and soon became the world’s forecast astronomical research center.
Hale brought a solar telescope from an observatory in Wisconsin to sunnier Southern California. In 1919, it became home to the world’s largest telescope, used to photograph stars and allowing researchers, including famed astronomer Edwin Hubble, to better understand our origins, the Big Bang and other mysteries of space.
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.
The fire has scorched 38,299 acres and containment of the blaze fell to 3%. It had risen to 6% Thursday, then remained unchanged until Monday night.
Light winds are in the forecast for Tuesday, which allows the smoke to settle over most of Southern California. That pattern stays in effect through Thursday before a strong onshore flow develops Friday that will push out some of the smoke.
No homes have been damaged, but several neighborhoods remain under evacuation. Residents of Monrovia, Bradbury, Altadena, Duarte, Pasadena and other San Gabriel Valley areas were advised to be ready to evacuate if flames spread their way.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles
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