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Fire Near Mt. Wilson Observatory Now At 50 Acres and 25% Containment
(Photo courtesy of the Angeles National Forest via Twitter)
A fire that broke out before dawn Tuesday morning in the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Wilson Observatory is now at 50 acres and 25% containment, according to authorities.
A spokesperson for Angeles National Forest told LAist that those numbers had been updated earlier this morning, and that they would likely have more information later in the day. The fire was estimated to have engulfed 30 acres yesterday afternoon; the L.A. Times reports that the increase in size to 50 acres "was not due to the fire growing but a more accurate estimate Wednesday morning."
#WilsonFire - infrared aerial mapping by USFS NightWatch Air Attack shows the fire at 50 acres 25% contained pic.twitter.com/8EiahkFZrM
— Angeles National Forest (@Angeles_NF) October 18, 2017
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 on the mountain.
The rocky terrain in the area has made containing the blaze more difficult for firefighters. Angeles National Forest spokeswoman Seneca Smith told the L.A. Times that the fire was affecting an area that's “very steep and rocky and inacessible by foot.”
“It could be several days before we see full containment,” she said.
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