Evacuation Warnings Lifted For Wrightwood As Heat Poses Challenges In Bobcat Firefight
MONROVIA (CBSLA) – Evacuation warnings for were lifted Tuesday for the community of Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains while crews continue to face challenges battling the stubborn Bobcat Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest and Antelope Valley foothills.
The Bobcat Fire has burned 114,202 acres as of Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It is 62% contained, down from 65% containment on Sunday. Full containment is not expected until Oct. 30.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for Paradise Springs, Upper Big Tujunga Canyon and along the Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2).
While a red flag warning expired Monday evening, a heat advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday through 8 p.m. Thursday for most of L.A. and Ventura counties. The hot, dry conditions could continue to pose challenges for the over 1,300 firefighters still battling the blaze, now in its fourth week.
The Bobcat Fire, one of the largest in L.A. County history, broke out a little after noon on Sept. 6 amid triple-digit temperatures near the Cogswell Dam and the West Fork Day Use area. The fire is churning through thick vegetation and dry brush in steep terrain, some of which has not burned in more 60 years.
It first threatened the San Gabriel foothill communities of Arcadia and Monrovia to the south, before turning its attention north to the Antelope Valley. At least 47 homes have been destroyed in the Antelope Valley foothill communities.
The fire also threatened the historic Mount Wilson Observatory for a period of several days, but crews were able to valiantly protect the structure.
The cause is under investigation. Federal authorities are investigating whether a disturbance at a Southern California Edison substation may have sparked the fire.
