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Fire Near Mt. Wilson Observatory Remains At 30 Acres, Now 10% Contained
(Photo courtesy of Angeles National Forest via Twitter)
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A brush fire that broke out before dawn on Tuesday near Mt. Wilson Observatory in the Angeles National Forest is now 10% contained, according to authorities.
The Wilson Fire continues to burn but has been contained to about 30 acres since late Tuesday morning. An Angeles National Forest spokesperson told LAist just after 4:30 p.m. that the fire remained at 30 acres and that a number of campgrounds in the area had also been closed.
Authorities previously reported that 20 structures were threatened by the fire, but no damage has yet been reported. Beyond the historic observatory, there are also a number of critical communication towers in the area. More than two dozen antenna towers are located at the peak of Mt. Wilson, including "federal and county facilities used for emergency communications, commercial television facilities and radio transmitters," according the L.A. Times.
"It's one of the major communication centers for this part of the country," Harold McAlister, director of the nonprofit Mt. Wilson Institute, which runs the observatory, told the L.A. Times in 2009 during the historic Station Fire which also burned through the same area.
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Containment on #WilsonFire has increased to 10%, remains at 30 acres. pic.twitter.com/cqdfSMngAn
— Angeles National Forest (@Angeles_NF) October 17, 2017
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