BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE - FOREST SERVICE 9.14 8AM
This morning the Bobcat Fire is at 36,366 acres and 6% containment. Crews today will be focused on protecting foothills communities and Mt. Wilson. To the north it stayed south of Highway 2 and west of 39. Tonight will be a virtual public meeting via Zoom at 6:30 PM
UPDATE 9.13 8:40PM - CITY MANAGER GABE ENGELAND
Sierra Madre residents, as promised, this is an update to my previous Nixle Alert sent at 6:10pm. We will send out another Nixle Alert on Monday, September 13, 2020 with updated information. The fire crews made great progress on the Bobcat Fire this afternoon and into the early evening. Air support was able to get a fire retardant line down covering the Manzanita Ridge and acting as a buffer to the fire should it start burning back towards Sierra Madre. This was completed in addition to dozer lines and hand lines. The fire burned across Santa Anita Canyon, but is currently in check and behind the front country. The fire will continue to burn and move this evening towards the northwest, potentially as much as 1.5 miles, but it has been pushed far enough to the north that flames will be less visible than yesterday and may result in only an orange glow for Sierra Madre tonight. We remain under an evacuation warning, except for the areas east of Santa Anita and north of Elkins. If the fire shifts or conditions change, we will advise the community through the channels listed below. Please continue to get information from Sierra Madre here: https://www.nixle.com/; www.CityofSierraMadre.com/bobcat; https://www.facebook.com/cityofsierramadre/; Thanks, Gabe
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE FROM CITY MANAGER
Sierra Madre residents, I want to provide an update on the fire so people know the resources we have assigned in Sierra Madre, as well as what to expect this evening. Currently Sierra Madre has 4 strike teams assigned to the city. Each strike team consists of 5 engines. We have a total of 10 type 1 engines, and 10 type 6 engines. The incident also has 2 air tankers (phos-chek airplanes), 2 helicopters, and a structure protection team that you will be able to observe working this side of the fire. This is in addition to numerous fire equipment and personnel. Incident command has done an excellent job of managing the resources assigned to the fire, and the Sierra Madre Fire Department, as part of unified command, has been working the fire locally and in conjunction with Arcadia and Monrovia. The Sierra Madre Police Department will be limiting access to only residents in the canyon areas through barricaded and guarded street entry. We have released color-coded maps of the 3 canyon areas that may require evacuation. We remain under an evacuation warning in Sierra Madre, but the only evacuations which have taken place are for properties east of Santa Anita and north of Elkins. You can view and download the evacuation maps as well as watch Fire Captain Rich Snyder’s explanation of the maps at www.CityofSierraMadre.com/bobcat. As the sun goes down and the smoke fully lifts, Sierra Madre residents will again be able to clearly see flames and will be able to observe how far the fire has moved. Please be assured that we are watching the fire locally, coordinating regionally, and working with incident command to keep Sierra Madre residents safe. We will provide another update this evening, after 8 p.m., when the incident command briefing is concluded. Please continue to get information for Sierra Madre here: https://www.nixle.com/; www.CityofSierraMadre.com/bobcat; https://www.facebook.com/cityofsierramadre/ Thanks, - Gabriel L. Engeland, City Manager
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE
Sierra Madre residents may be seeing apparatus from surrounding agencies driving throughout the city, parked on city streets and/or staging at various locations. These departments are familiarizing themselves with Sierra Madre neighborhoods and terrain in order to develop the best possible plan to combat the fire and protect structures, should the need arise. Units have been strategically placed throughout the city to best protect the citizens in a timely manner. Fire personnel may also be using various locations to stage units in preparation for possible fire attack. There are a total of 4 strike teams consisting of 10 fire engines and 10 fire patrols dedicated to Sierra Madre. Please steer clear of these areas in order to allow Firefighters to work on keeping Sierra Madre safe.
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE 9.13.20 - 1PM
For clarity, the only area of Sierra Madre under an evacuation order is east of Santa Anita and north of Elkins. This is 32 homes total. There are no other areas under evacuation orders. Sierra Madre is under an evacuation warning. The City has made evacuation plans for different areas of Sierra Madre that will be determined by how well we are able to battle the fire today. If an evacuation order is issued, it will come with sufficient time to evacuate safely. Please watch City facebook, www.cityofsierramadre.com/bobcat and sign up for nixle alerts.
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE 9.13.20 - 10:30AM
For the past several days we have been asking residents to be ready to evacuate should an evacuation order be issued. This morning at 9:00 a.m. an evacuation order was given to Sierra Madre residents with homes and property east of Santa Anita and north of Elkins. The rest of Sierra Madre remains under an evacuation warning, and residents in the upper and lower canyon should be ready to evacuate should a formal order be given. There is a potential this order will come as early as today. Any evacuation order issued will allow residents the necessary time to evacuate in a safe manner. Please remain calm and execute the individual plan you put together for yourself and your families should additional evacuation orders be issued. Please also check on your neighbors. As of 9:00 a.m. this morning the City of Sierra Madre has entered into unified command with Angeles National Forest and local agencies. Today at 11:00 a.m. the City Council will meet to declare a local emergency. Here is how we will communicate updates on the fire: Nixle Alerts, please sign up: https://www.nixle.com/; Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/cityofsierramadre; Web page: http://www.cityofsierramadre.com/bobcat ; Please stay safe and remain calm. A formal update on the status of the fire will be communicated through these channels regularly.
RED FLAG ALERT 9.13.20
The City is now activating it's Red Flag procedures for the canyon areas. This will allow fire personnel to navigate fire trucks through those areas. During a Red Flag Alert Day, it shall be unlawful, when authorized signs are in place giving notice, to park any vehicle on any of the following streets or portions thereof in violation of those posted signs:(1) Mount Wilson Trail; (2) Churchill Road; (3) Skyland Drive; (4) Fern Glen; (5) Fern Drive; (6) Idle Hour; (7) Canyon Crest Drive; (8) Orange Drive; (9) Woodland Drive; (10) Brookside Lane; (11) Sunnyside Lane; (12) Yucca Trail; (13) Holly Trail; (14) Sturtevant; and (15) Elm; (16) Pleasant Hill; (17) Old Ranch Road; (18) Forest Lane; (19) Casey; (20) Madre; (21) Hermosa North of Carter; (22) Auburn North of Grandview; (23) Canon Drive; (24) Oakcrest; (25) Carter; (26) Mount Wilson North of Mira Monte; (27) Alta Vista; (28) Vista Circle; (29) Woodland;
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE 9.12.20 10:30PM
The Bobcat fire has entered the Chantry Flats area on the east side of Santa Anita Canyon. Sierra Madre remains under an evacuation warning, but mandatory evacuations are not in place. large flames can be seen when the fire hits heavy pockets of vegetation, it is not a fast moving fire. Currently there is no immediate threat to Sierra Madre. Please continue to be vigilant and be prepared to leave. Sierra Madre remains under an evacuation warning. We will continue to monitor the fire, and will update you should the status change. Sierra Madre remains under an evacuation warning, but mandatory evacuations are not in place.
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE 9.12.20 7PM
As of Saturday morning, the fire was 6% contained, marking some progress for firefighters who have been on the lines for days. Sierra Madre firefighters are actively engaged in laying phos-chek in areas around Sierra Madre in an effort to protect Sierra Madre from harm. You will also see air support craft continue to get water from Sierra Madre’s settling basins behind Sierra Vista Park. This is a coordinated effort between Sierra Madre, Los Angeles County, and Angeles National Forest Service. Most of the fire continues to burn in areas that are in terrain that is inaccessible. However, the fire has moved in some places to become easier for fire crews to fight the fire. The fire has begun to move towards Sierra Madre and flames are now visible in some areas near Sierra Madre. As the evening goes on, flames will be more visible as it continues to slowly burn in a north-west direction. The good news is that there are no wind events predicted for the next few days and that will alleviate any immediate threat to Sierra Madre. As of 5:00 pm today, they have begun water drops to slow the progress of the fire. It is important to note that this fire is not driven by wind, instead, it is driven by the rough terrain that makes it inaccessible in many places. Sierra Madre, along with the foothill cities of Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Pasadena, and Altadena remain under an evacuation warning. What this means is that residents should evacuate and be READY to evacuate. Air quality has continued to decline across the San Gabriel Valley. Smoke advisories will remain in effect throughout the day and likely through the weekend. Here are tips for managing during times of poor air quality: Stay indoors, if possible. Keep windows and doors closed. Check local public health alerts and the Southern California air quality map. Take extra precautions to protect people with heart or lung disease (including asthma), the elderly and children, as they may be more likely to experience poor health if they breathe wildfire smoke. Avoid vigorous physical activity. Run your air conditioner if you have one. Make sure it has a clean filter and that it is recirculating the indoor air to prevent bringing additional smoke inside. Avoid using a whole-house fan or swamp cooler with an outside air intake. Avoid using indoor or outdoor wood-burning appliances, including fireplaces and candles. Do not rely on “dust masks” for protection. Paper masks can block large particles such as sawdust but do not protect lungs from the small particles or gases in wildfire smoke. Disposable respirators such as N-95 or P-100 respirators can offer some protection if they are worn properly and have a tight fit.
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE 9.12.20
TODAY: Fire crews saw the most activity in the north and south ends of the fire. The priority remains to strengthen containment lines and halt forward progression of the fire as it makes its way south towards the foothill communities. Additionally, crews are trying to hold the fire north of Hwy 39, while monitoring for spot fires. Both western and eastern sections of the fire continue heading into previous fire scars, lessening the fuel intensity for crews. The recent Ranch 2 Fire, Fish Fire and the 2009 Station Fire are helping to slow fire progression, however the Bobcat Fire continues to burn north and east where there is no fire history in the last 80 years and in the San Gabriel Wilderness. Smoke hindered growth today by keeping temperatures down. Night operations will continue to patrol the perimeter of the fire across Angeles Crest Highway 2 and State Route 39, as priorities remain to keep infrastructure to the south safe and maintaining the fire to the south and west. Aviation resources arrived later in the day to assist with suppression efforts. Firefighter and overhead resources on this fire remain valuable due to the ongoing wildfires across the state. YESTERDAY: Firefighters reached a containment of 6% on the southeastern end of the fire as winds pushed the fire northeast yesterday. Two LA County Blackhawks in conjunction with Forest aviation resources worked the perimeter control in the southwest portion of the fire that will continue into today. Retardant drops were made in the north end as fire activity has mainly continued to grow in that area. Poor air quality due to smoke cover was experienced in the foothill communities. WEATHER: Continued warm and dry conditions with poor overnight humidity recovery along the ridgetops will allow active burning and fire growth through the night. Slight cooling is expected for the weekend however little change in daytime relative humidity in the teens and poor overnight recovery is forecasted to continue. EVACUATIONS ALERTS: Evacuation warnings are in effect for Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Duarte and Pasadena. At this time, no Evacuation Orders in these communities have been issued—however, it’s important to stay well-informed as this is an evolving incident. SUMMARY: The Bobcat Fire started on September 6th at 12:21. The fire is located near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area. The fire is burning in heavy fuels with a rapid rate of spread. Along with California Team #1, the fire is currently managed under Unified Command by the Angeles National Forest, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and cooperating fire departments.
BOBCAT FIRE UPDATE - 9.11.20
Location of Origin: Angeles National Forest, Azusa, CA. Start date: September 6, 2020. Size: Approximately 23,890 acres. Percent Contained: 6%. Cause: Under Investigation. Resources Assigned: 540 personnel. TODAY: Fire crews focused on maintaining protection on the south end of the Bobcat fire as winds pushed the fire northeast today. Two LA County Blackhawks are currently flying working the perimeter control in the southwest portion of the fire. A containment of 6% was attained near the eastern edge of the fire where there is a burn scar from the Ranch2 Fire creating less intense fire behavior for fire crews. The northern portion of the fire has reached up into ridges near Angeles Crest Highway where retardant drops have been made. Steep terrain and dry fuels, some of which haven’t burned in the last 60 years, will create challenges for crews. Fire crews will continue working on opening dozer lines and utilizing the road system to slow progression of the fire. Local fire departments will continue to conduct structure protection planning and triage efforts within the foothill communities. Similar to today, poor air quality due to smoke cover will continue into tomorrow. YESTERDAY: Main objectives were to prepare and strengthen fire lines from completed dozer and handline work. As the day progressed and the dense smoke lifted, two air tankers, including a DC-10, were able to make several drops of fire retardant on the southwest portion of the fire to reinforce and strengthen previously applied fire lines. Several more resources arrived at the fire late in the day, including a sky crane helicopter and two more hotshot crews. The fire behavior was very active to extreme with long-range spotting, tree torching, and visible slope runs. Nighttime operations continued into the evening to monitor fire behavior and growth. WEATHER: Continued warm and dry conditions with poor humidity recovery along the ridgetops will allow active burning and fire growth through the night. Another trend toward abnormally high temperatures is expected through the weekend. EVACUATIONS ALERTS: Evacuation warnings are in effect for Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Duarte and Pasadena. At this time, no Evacuation Orders in these communities have been issued—however, it’s important to stay well-informed as this is an evolving incident.