San Gabriel Valley Wildfires Burn More Than 5,000 Acres, 770 Homes Evacuated

The two fires that have been burning in the Duarte and Azusa area since Monday noontime—the "Reservoir Fire" and the "Fish Fire"—are now being referred to collectively as the "San Gabriel Complex Fire" by officials, reports the Pasadena Star-News. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday the fires have burned a total of 5,400 acres. More than 770 homes in the area have been evacuated. Firefighters say there is zero percent containment of the fires.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department has deployed about 80 deputies to the area to help with evacuations and to prevent any looting, according to KTLA. Several roads have been closed due to the fire. They include Glendora Mountain Road at Big Dalton Canyon Road, Glendora Ridge Road from Mount Baldy, and Mount Laurel Way at San Gabriel Canyon Road. Highway 39 north of Azusa is still closed, says CalTrans.

As reported yesterday, the Reservoir Fire started after a car had crashed off Highway 39. The Fish Fire is also reported to have been man-made. Authorities are still investigating both incidents.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has released a smoke advisory for the surrounding areas, including the West and East San Gabriel Valley. The district says that residents in these areas should keep windows closed and run their air conditioner to maintain a flow of fresh air.