Bobcat Fire Advances on Mt.Wilson Again Monday, While Illegal Drone Puts Temporary Halt to Some Air Drops

Flames advance on Mt. Wilson’s vital communications towers on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020 at about 10 p.m. (Image courtesy HPWREN, a University of California San Diego partnership project led by the San Diego Supercomputer Center and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics)

The 106,719 acre Bobcat Fire advanced again on Mount Wilson Monday, one week after its first run towards the billion-dollar scientific and communications facility.

“Mt. Wilson was a high priority for us [on Monday], that’s actually been a priority for the last few days,” department spokesman Sky Cornell told KCAL9. “We know that our crews worked heavy through [Sunday] night and again [Monday] and they’ll continue to do that through the night.”

“We’ve been able to take advantage of our air resources, both fixed-wing and our helicopters, and also our ground crews,” Cornell said.

Fire officials said that while the fire continues to burn below the Mount Wilson Observatory and was making “a hard push,” they are employing a variety of techniques to make sure key infrastructure is protected.

“The Bobcat Fire has picked up again and is making its way toward the northwest slope of the Mt. Wilson Drainage. Cal Fire is planning another strategic firing operation on the north/northwest slope of Mt. Wilson. Resources have made their way back to the lower parking lot,” Mount Wilson Observatory representatives wrote on Twitter.

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

The National Weather Service reported that winds near the observatory were blowing about 5-10 mph and relative humidity was at about 30%-35% Monday afternoon.

“The area around Mt. Wilson experienced unfavorable wind conditions through the afternoon delaying strategic firing operations,” the U.S. Forest Service said.

Two private drones being flown in the area late Monday morning prompted the 30-minute grounding of a fixed-wing aircraft and the diversion of other aircraft resources to the northwest part of the fire as a precaution, a fire official said.

There was no immediate word on who was operating the drones.

The U.S. Forest Service reported shortly before 2 p.m. that the aircraft was back in the air.

Courtesy of the Angeles National Forest, via Twitter.

Pasadena remains under an evacuation warning, with city officials saying there is no imminent threat.

The Bobcat Fire was 13% contained Monday evening, down from the 15% containment reported on Friday.

A total of 1,513 personnel were assigned to the fire as of Monday evening.

A closure order has been issued for national forests in Southern California, including the Angeles National Forest.

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. Full containment is not expected until Oct. 30.