Bobcat

Bobcat, Angeles NF, USFS. Twelve miles northeast of Pasadena, CA. Chaparral, brush and tall grass. Minimal fire behavior with creeping and smoldering. Numerous structures and infrastructure threatened. Area, road and trail closures in effect.

October 16, 2020 at 9:45 AM

Crews will still be actively mopping up in the Mt. Wilson and Juniper Hills area. Residents might see some smoke in the area. This is from unburnt islands of fuels within the containment area. Please do not call 911 if you see smoke in these areas. Also, residents of the Juniper Hills area should expect to see firefighters and equipment in the area. Please make room for them for their safety and yours.

WEATHER:

FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS, SINGLE DIGIT HUMIDITIES AND HOT TEMPERATURES FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF VENTURA AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES AND THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY. Surface high pressure will build into the Great Basin Thursday night into Friday which should help to strengthen the offshore flow over southwestern California, especially for Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. This will bring the possibility of a moderate Santa Ana wind event Thursday night into Friday, especially over the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties and Santa Clarita Valley where wind gusts 35 to to 45 mph will be possible. This combined with humidities lowering into the single digits will bring the potential for critical fire weather conditions to this area during the period

ROAD CLOSURES:

Big Santa Anita Rd (the Chantry road) is closed.

October 3, 2020 at 1:24 PM

Today’s fire behavior is expected to mainly consist of smoldering where heat exists within existing footprint. Most areas of the fire will consist of firefighters mopping up, patrolling and improving containment lines.

An exception is an interior island northeast of Mt. Wilson. This area of the fire will continue to consume approximately 300 internal acres well within the fire control lines. This is not a prescribed burning operation but is a pocket of fire in difficult terrain that has been difficult for firefighters to access. Firefighters expect this pocket to burn on its own through the day. Crews are patrolling this area and monitoring for spotting and adverse behavior in the steep rugged terrain in this area. Heavy smoke may be visible during peak heat hours as this internal island of fuel burns.

Please note that the most recent numbers of residential and other structures damaged or destroyed have increased in today’s update but are not a result of fire activity in the last 5 days. The number of damaged and destroyed buildings may rise as damage assessment teams continue to gather accurate data from properties spanning over 114,900+ acres.

September 30, 2020 at 9:06 PM

Today firefighters will continue to strengthen containment lines. On the northwestern portion of the fire, crews are working from Highway 2 to Little Rock Reservoir constructing handlines and mopping up. Patrols continue along the northern portion of the fire to make sure communities are secure and staying alert for any potential new activity. Heavy mop-up will continue northwest of Mount Wilson from Mt. Wilson Red Box Rd to Highway 2. In the northeast portion of the fire near Mount Waterman, mop up and patrol activities continue. The southern perimeter of the fire remains moderated and in patrol and mop-up status from Mt. Wilson around to Crystal Lake. On the south and east sides of the fire crews will begin the process of pulling hose and backhauling equipment. They will also begin suppression repair work on contingency lines.

YESTERDAY

There was minimal fire growth yesterday and last night. Fire crews focused on strengthening containments lines, monitoring areas for spot fires, and looking for opportunities to attack the fire directly. Heavy mop-up occurred in the Mount Wilson area from Mt. Wilson Red Box Rd to Highway 2. Crews continued to monitor, patrol, and clean up the Pinon Ridge area to secure containment lines. Firefighters monitored fire activity near the Manzanita Trail and found opportunities to fight the fire directly with the assistance of aviation assets. For the past few days, fire activity on the eastern side of the fire has moderated on the northern portion of the Highway 39 corridor to the San Gabriel Reservoir.

September 26, 2020 at 11:59 AM

Work continues on the northeastern corner of the fire around Dorr Canyon and Rock Creek Rd where the fire has reached the creek bottom. Personnel supported with aircraft will continue to hold and monitor containment lines and prepare for defensive strategic firing if conditions allow. Around the fire’s perimeter, engines and crews will scout out then mop-up, patrol, monitoring and extinguishing any hot spots that may remain. Continued efforts will be made today and tomorrow to securing the west side of the fire prior to a forecasted wind shift to the northeast on Sunday. Residents will continue to see smoke from burning islands will within the perimeters. Engines will remain available in the north for smoke checks near the communities. Yesterday evacuation orders for Antelope Valley areas were lifted and changed to warnings and previously evacuated residents in these areas were able to return home. A moderate Santa Ana wins event is forecasted for early next week, fire crews will work to ensure priority areas remain ready. Repopulation efforts continue with help from Los Angeles County Occupancy support. For more information visit: https://rb.gy/flykjl.

The hard work and efforts of the multii-agency firefighting crews, and cooperating partners resulted in lifting evacuation orders for residents only in areas of the Antelope Valley. Crews are still working to fully control the fire. Please note: Unified Incident Commanders and cooperators continue to evaluate all evacuated areas for future repopulations. Soft closure residents must present identification to repopulate. Livestock and animals are allowed to repopulate.

EVACUATION ORDERS HAVE BEEN LIFTED AND CHANGED TO WARNINGS AS Of SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 AT 4:00 PM. FOR THE FIRST 24 HOURS, THIS Will BE A RESIDENTS ONLY OPENING IN THE AREAS DESCRIBED BELOW- RESIDENTS MAY RETURN TO THEIR HOMES WITH PROPER IDENTIFICATION.

THIS AREA INCLUDES:

•  South of Fort Tejon Road and E. Avenue W-14, East of 87th Street E, West of 165th Street E and Devil’s Punchbowl, and north of the forest and Big Pines Highway.

•  South of Highway 138, east of 165th Street, west of Largo Vista Road, and north of Big Pines Highway.

 Warnings for the above described area will be lifted with “No Restrictions” on September 26, 2020 at 4:00 PM.

 THE FOLLOWING AREA WILL REMAIN UNDER EVACUATION ORDER: 

 •  Paradise Springs- South of Big Pines. Highway, east of Devil’s Punchbowl, west: of Largo Vista Road, and north of the forest.

THE FOLLOWING AREAS Will REMAIN UNDER EVACUATION WARNING:

•  South of Big Pines Highway, east of Largo Vista Road, west of 263″‘1 Street E (County l’ine), and north of the forest.

•  South of Highway 138, north of Weber Ranch Road, east of Cheseboro Road, a:nd west of 87th Street E.

•  South of Pearblossom Highway, south and east of Highway 122 {Sierra Hwy/Pearblossom), north and west of Mount Em ma Road, west of Cheseboro Road, north and east of Angeles Forest Highway.

SAFETY: Be mindful of people working in the area as essential services are restored. Stay vigilant as you drive into areas that have been impacted by the fire as road crews, firefighters, and other personnel are focused on completing their assignments. As traffic flow is introduced into these areas, people may be more focused on the damage and not aware of their immediate surroundings. Stay alert and pay attention.

As the area is repopulated, be aware that there may be intermittent power outages and associated street closures as power is restored throughout the impacted areas. There are many hazards that may exist when returning to your home after a wildfire. These hazards can include fire ash, damaged utilities, exposed land burned structures, as well as hazardous materials. To protect yourself from these hazards, it is important to utilize personal protective equipment that can include breathing protection (N-95 rated respirators), protective clothing, gloves, and boots, as well as eye/face protection. For more information on returning safely to your home after a wildfire, please visit
www.lacounty.gov/recovery or www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/FireSafety

September 22, 2020 at 9:17 AM

With the forecasted weather conditions, we expect similar fire activity to yesterday. The defensive strategic firing operation to secure line between Mt. Wilson and Highway 2 will continue and should be completed today. North of Highway 2 on the west side of the fire crews will look for opportunities to construct both indirect and direct line to check the westward spread of the fire and carry out structure defense as needed. In the Antelope Valley, crews will continue to construct direct line on the fire’s edge and mop up. On the northeastern corner of the fire, crews will be looking for opportunities to construct line to stop any further spread to the east. The south side and Highway 39 corridor continues to be in mop up and patrol status. A virtual community meeting was held yesterday and can be seen at: bit.ly/3iQy9zp, as the closed captioning is completed it will be uploaded.

Yesterday

Yesterday the fire remained active in the western, northern, and southwestern portions. Last night personnel were successful picking up numerous spots. Yesterday evacuations were issued for the areas near Colby Ranch and Hidden Springs where crews worked to prepare structures and build contingency lines. Crews began a strategic firing operation moving north from Mt. Wilson to Highway 2 that continued throughout the night. Minimal fire activity occurred on the southern and eastern sides from Mt. Wilson around to Crystal Lake.

Weather

The weather today will be similar to yesterday, although with slightly cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and lower winds. As with yesterday, winds will start the day from the east and then shift to a southerly direction. Warmer and drier conditions will begin to return to the area on Wednesday.

September 21, 2020 at 1:18 PM

Today on the southern perimeter crews will continue securing line between Mt. Wilson and Highway 2. Defensive strategic firing operations may occur today to slow the growth of the fire. On the northern end of the fire’s perimeter towards Antelope Valley, firefighters are constructing both direct and indirect line to stop the fire from spreading to the east and west. Both hand and dozer line construction continues on the eastern and western flanks. Throughout the fire, additional work continues on holding and improving fireline. Please watch the public meeting tonight live on the Bobcat Fire YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3iQy9zp or steaming from the Los Angeles County Fire Facebook. Representatives from the fire will be on hand to answer questions. American Sign Language interpreters will be live-signing.

YESTERDAY

Yesterday afternoon the fire west of Mt. Wilson made a northerly push towards Highway 2, firefighters were able to keep this in check. The north end towards the Antelope Valley continued to grow to both the west and east. The fire remains relatively quiet along the Highway 39 corridor and along the south side.

WEATHER

We are in the middle of a cooling trend that will last through mid-week. Humidity today will be in the low teens, except on higher ridgetops, where it may reach single digits. This morning winds will be from the east and then switch around to the south to southeast in the afternoon. Wind gusts will be 20 to 30 mph on the ridge tops and less at lower elevations.

September 20, 2020 at 11:31 AM

Today’s priorities for work on the Bobcat Fire are to continue work on the control lines. These lines are being built in the northeastern and northwestern portions of the fire in order to stop the forward progression. Additionally, firefighters will continue to mop up and secure the areas around structures where the fire burned into Antelope Valley and Juniper Hills. We will also be looking for ways to secure the line between Mt. Wilson and Highway 2 to eliminate the threat to that area. Residents are urged to remain alert for any additional evacuation orders or warnings that may be issued. For information on evacuations follow LA County Sheriff’s Dept. Twitter at @LASDHQ or https://bit.ly/35Uy9Ld

Yesterday
Additional evacuations were ordered for residents in the Antelope Valley yesterday. Yesterday and into the night the fire remained active due to windy conditions, especially on the north end. Over the evening the fire did moderate some and work started on direct lines. Successful strategic firing occurred to secure the area around Mt. Wilson last night. Aside from Mt. Wilson, the fire remained quiet from Crystal Lake all the way around the south end back up to Highway 2.

Weather
The weather today will me mostly clear with areas of smoke and temperatures will be steady throughout the day. Humidity will drop into the teens again and winds will remain southerly, with the strongest winds occurring in the northern portion of the fire again. A warming and drying trend is expected for mid-week.

September 19, 2020 at 8:26 PM

New Evacuation Order 1430 9/19/20:

• South of 138th St East, North of Big Pines Hwy and Hwy 2, West of 263rd East, East of Largo Vista Rd.

Evacuation Orders

• North of Angeles Crest North and between Clear Creek Station and Hwy 39..
• Including the area East of Devils Punch Bowl Rd, South of the Big Pines Hwy, North of the Big Rock Creek, and West of Jackson Lake.

-Aqueduct – South of Pearblossom Hwy (SR138), North of Big Pines, East of 165th and West of Largo Vista Rd

-Ward- North of Fort Tejon Rd, South of Avenue V, East of 87th E., West of 121 St E.

-Longview-South of Avenue 12, North of Aqueduct, West of 165 St E and East of 121 St E.

-Tejon – South of Fort Tejon Rd, North of Cooley Place, East of 89th St. E. and West of Longview Rd.

-Peach – North of Pallett Creek, South of W. 114th St., East of Longview Rd and West of 165th St.

• Cima Block – 96th east to 116th St. E/Fort Tejon Rd south to SR 2

-Juniper Block- 116th E to Devis Punchbowl Rd / Fort Tejor Rd to SR 2

-Punchbowl Block – Devils Punchbowl Rd to and including Fenner Camp

-Paradise Block – Fenner Camp to intersection of SR 2 and Big Pines

-Chilao, the CalTrans Yard, the 3 Points area and the Angeles Crest Christian Camp were all issued Evacuation Orders Crystal Lake area remains under Evacuation Order.

A Red Cross Evacuation Center has been established at Palmdale High School, located at 2137 E Avenue R, Palmdale, 93550. The first evacuation point at Santa Anita Park is now closed and anyone still needing assistance can call the Disaster Distress Hotline at 800-675-5799. The Red Cross is committed to helping all those affected by the Bobcat Fire and evacuation orders.

September 18, 2020 at 11:35 AM

Evacuation orders have been issued for Juniper Hills, Devil’s Punchbowl, and Paradise Springs including the area East of Devils Punch Bowl Rd, South of the Big Pines Hwy, North of the Big Rock Creek, and West of Jackson Lake. Today our primary focus will be to respond to and address the threats to the communities on the north end of the fire. A combination of air and ground resources will work at halting the fire’s forward progress while having structure protection in place. Around Mt. Wilson crews will continue to hold and improve the lines protecting the infrastructure why trying to keep the fire from spreading to the west around the mountain. On the east side firefighters will continue to patrol and pick up any spot fires and will look for opportunities to establish direct control lines to slow the fire’s spread. In the south crews will continue to mop up and strengthen line around the communities. A virtual community meeting was held last night where fire management provided an update on the Bobcat fire current situation. A recorded version of the meeting will be posted once closed-captioned on Facebook as well as through the LA County Fire Dept or City of Monrovia page and Bobcat Inciweb.

YESTERDAY

Yesterday the fire reached Juniper Hills and the adjacent communities, but fire activity moderated as it approached the lower slopes and valley floor. Large numbers of resources were shifted to respond to this threat. Efforts to protect Mt. Wilson continued to be successful. Overnight on the east the fire made a downhill push above the San Gabriel Reservoir. In the south the fire around the communities is now in heavy mop up and patrol status.

WEATHER

Today will remain warm and very dry. Winds will be from the southwest and will be at their strongest on the northern ridges in the late afternoon and evening. Gusts are potentially 20 to 30 MPH on ridge tops and 10 to 15 MPH in valleys. Humidity will increase Saturday.

EVACUATION ALERTS

Evacuation Orders:

– North of Angeles Crest North and between Clear Creek Station and Hwy 39.

– Juniper Hills.

– Devils Punchbowl.

– Paradise Springs.

– Including the area East of Devils Punch Bowl Rd, South of the Big Pines Hwy, North of the Big Rock Creek, and West of Jackson Lake.

Evacuation Warnings: Evacuation Warnings remain in effect for the foothill communities of Monrovia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Altadena, Duarte and Pasadena. Residents north of Foothill Blvd. and east of Santa Anita Ave. Residents of Wrightwood also remain in a warning.

A virtual Red Cross Evacuation Center has been established at Santa Anita Park, located at 285 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA, 91007. Residents are advised to enter through Gate 5. Additionally, anAmerican Red Cross Temporary Evacuation Point (TEP) has been set up at Palmdale High School, located at 2137 E Avenue R, Palmdale, 93550. To reach Red Cross LA, call 1-800-675-5799.

September 16, 2020 at 8:59 PM

Evacuation Warning issued for the residents of:

-Juniper Hills
-residents South of Fort Tejon Rd East of 96th St East
-and south of Valyermo Rd west of Bobs Gap Rd.

Today, evacuation orders for residents north of Elkins Ave and East of Santa Anita Ave in the communities of Arcadia and Sierra Madre were lifted. Residents were able to repopulate into these areas at 4 PM. The Bobcat Fire is 46, 263 acres with 3% containment. Efforts were focused on securing the south end of the fire where crews put in direct handline from Arcadia Wilderness Park to Santa Anita Canyon Road. Additionally, strategic firing operations took place near Camp Trask where the fire is holding at the line. With decreased smoke conditions, increased temperatures, and lower relative humidity, the fire saw growth along the perimeter. The area around Mt. Wilson and the southwestern edge of the fire remains active where crews continue to protect the Mt. Wilson Observatory infrastructure. The north side of the fire in Cooper Canyon continues northward into the Pleasant View Wilderness. Aviation assets were able to drop retardant as conditions allowed to slow the growth of the fire, while ground resources made their way into look for places to start putting in line. Additionally, crews worked on fire growth near the Crystal Lake area and the West Fork where there is heavy fuel. Tomorrow another virtual community meeting where fire management will provide an update on the Bobcat fire current situation. The meeting will be streamed through multiple platforms, including our cooperator’s social media platforms. Information on where to watch the Bobcat Fire virtual community meeting will be posted on the Angeles National Forest Twitter, Facebook, and Bobcat Inciweb early tomorrow.

September 15, 2020 at 7:52 AM

Acreage this morning is 41,231 with 3% containment. Crews worked all night to keep the fire from reaching Mt. Wilson and the communities. Reduced containment is due to fire growth without our being able to increase containment lines. #BobcatFire pic.twitter.com/eGT5aU9hwz

— Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF) September 15, 2020

September 14, 2020 at 10:12 AM

This morning the Bobcat Fire is at 36,366 acres and 6% containment. Crews today will be focused on strengthening and improving the fireline between the south end of the fire and the foothills communities. When possible, control lines will be established on the fires edge and you can expect to see strategic firing operations as part of this effort. The fire has crossed to the west side of Santa Anita Canyon and is growing in the direction of Mt. Wilson and Mt. Harvard and continued line construction and strategic firing will be occurring in this area as well. On the north end the fire has reached Bear Creek and will continue to spread west along the crest. So far crews have been successful at picking up all spot fires that have crossed Highway 2 and will continue with these efforts. The fire is holding to the west side of Highway 39 and crews will continue to work at maintaining this perimeter. Tonight, fire management will host a virtual public meeting via Zoom at 6:30 PM. Representatives from the Bobcat Fire will be available to provide an update and respond to your questions. For the Zoom Meeting ID please visit the Angeles National Forest Twitter, Facebook or Bobcat InciWeb.

YESTERDAY

An evacuation order was issued for portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre, but firefighters have been able to maintain lines and keep the fire out of the communities. The fire was active around Chantry Flat and in Santa Anita Canyon yesterday and moved westerly towards Mt. Wilson. Last night fire behavior moderated after approximately 200 AM. Overnight the fire continued to move primarily west towards Mt. Wilson and north towards Highway 2.

WEATHER

Warm and dry conditions across the fire today. Low humidities and less smoke will result in more active fire behavior today. A slight warming and drying trend through mid-week.

September 11, 2020 at 9:21 PM

Fire crews saw the most activity in the north and south ends of the fire. The priority remains to strengthen containment lines and halt forward progression of the fire as it makes its way south towards the foothill communities. Additionally, crews are trying to hold the fire north of Hwy 39, while monitoring for spot fires. Both western and eastern sections of the fire continue heading into previous fire scars, lessening the fuel intensity for crews.

The recent Ranch 2 Fire, Fish Fire and the 2009 Station Fire are helping to slow fire progression, however the Bobcat Fire continues to burn north and east where there is no fire history in the last 80 years and in the San Gabriel Wilderness. Smoke hindered growth today by keeping temperatures down.

Night operations will continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire across Angeles Crest Highway 2 and State Route 39, as priorities remain to keep infrastructure to the south safe and maintaining the fire to the south and west. Aviation resources arrived later in the day to assist with suppression efforts. Firefighter and overhead resources on this fire remain valuable due to the ongoing wildfires across the state.

September 9, 2020 at 5:35 PM

The Bobcat Fire started on September 6th at 12:21 PM. The fire is located near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area. Current acreage is 11,456 and the fire is burning in heavy vegetation in steep, remote terrain with a rapid rate of spread. The Angeles National Forest sent a first and second alarm brush fire response and Los Angeles County Fire Department is assisting. The cause of this fire is currently under investigation.

The communities of MONROVIA, ARCADIA, SIERRA MADRE, BRADBURY, ALTADENA, DUARTE, PASADENA are currently under an Evacuation Warning. The Unified Incident Command of the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and cooperating agencies are coordinating public safety messages to alert residents in the foothills area below the fire to be prepared to evacuate, as there continues to be fire growth. Be advised this is an Evacuation Warning.

Residents should have evacuation plans in place, organize their emergency evacuation supplies, and have essential evacuation personal belongings easily accessible. Vehicles should be fully fueled, facing out in their driveways and ready to leave. Please make those arrangements now.

When Incident Command and Law Enforcement decide to issue an Evacuation Order, residents should be able to quickly gather their families and pets and leave the area to designated evacuation sites, or to family and friends’ homes outside the fire area. Delaying these preparedness actions will prevent fire crews from suppression activities and compromise the safety of the public and first responders.

In addition, city officials of Arcadia and Sierra Madre have asked residents in these areas to voluntarily evacuate. Local law enforcement and fire departments have concerns about the timeframe it could take to evacuate safely and orderly. Sierra Madre and Arcadia border a common access road in their pre-identified evacuation zones. Affected residents in the voluntary evacuation area may want to consider relocating to temporary living arrangements if possible.

For more information on the areas impacted in these voluntary evacuations, Arcadia residents may call (626) 574-5463 and Sierra Madre residents may call (626)-355-1414.