Fire chars 170 Acres in Monrovia hills – Evacuations ordered

Monrovia Fire Department fights massive Hillside Brush Fire
April 20, 2013
Update 7:10 pm – The fire is still at 170 acres with 10% containment. 200 homes have been evacuated. Mandatory evacuations orders are still in place, however emergency response crews will discuss in the next several hours lifting the evacuations. Firefighters are now setting up on the ridge line, with helicopters making the drops behind the ridgeline, where the fire remains active due to old vegetation and challenging terrain.

“The concern for tonight is downwind draft, which is typical for foothill areas,” said Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan. “I am comfortable with the situation and the lack of wind.”
The Pasadena Firefighter injured earlier in the day was able to be treated on scene and is doing fine.
Updated 6:40 pm – The Madison brush fire has now reached 170 acres and is still at 10% containment. At this time, evacuation orders are still in place for all affected areas. The Red Cross has set up a shelter for those evacuated at the Community Center, 119 W Palm Avenue, Monrovia, CA 91016. The shelter will be available throughout the evacuation period. The City of Monrovia will alert residents as soon as evacuation orders are lifted, and residents can return to their homes.
For those with pets, the Pasadena Human Society (626) 792-7151 and Wonder Ranch Dog Ranch in Monrovia (626) 205-2501 are offering to board dogs and cats.
Please continue to check back for updates, or follow the City of Monrovia on Facebook or @MonroviaCA on Twitter.
Updated 4:25 pm – The brush fire now covers 150 acres. Mandatory Evacuations have expanded to include the following neighborhoods:
Crescent
El Nido
Highland from Foothill
Franklin
Scenic 400-500 blocks
Cloverleaf, Lotone
Hidden Valley
Ridgeside
Briar Cliff
Golden Hills
and everything west of Canyon Park North of Scenic.
There are now 65 fire engines, 6 hand crews, and additional resources responding, and one heat-related injury to a firefighter.
Updated 3:00pm: The Monrovia Police Department is closing the streets north of Foothill Blvd from Lincoln Place to Myrtle Avenue to all thru traffic. Residents will still be able to get to and from their homes.
Updated 2:00pm- At 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, the Monrovia Fire Department responded to a call of a brush fire in the Monrovia hillside at 322 N Madison Avenue. As of 1:45pm, the fire covers 15 acres and is 10% contained. So far 25 fire engines, three helicopters, and three brush crews have responded. Several Fire agencies including the US Forest Services are cooperating to contain the fire.
At this time, Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan is asking for a manditory evacuation of homes in the following areas:
Heather Heights
Alta Vista
Melrose
Magnolia
Hidden Valley
Mesa Circle
Skyway
Patrician Way
Residents will be notified of evacuations through door-to-door efforts by the Monrovia Police Department.
Temporary shelter will be available at the Monrovia Community Center, 119 West Palm Avenue, Monrovia, CA. The Community Center can be reached at (626) 256-8246. Water, food and some activities will be available.
No reported strucutres damage or injuries have been reported. There is some concern about wind patterns picking up around 2 pm. “As long as we don’t have the winds, we will be fine, but its not a Santa Ana day. This is very old brush, over 55 years old, and a lot of fuel, but we have crews working very hard to contain the fire,” said Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan.
The Monrovia Fire Department will give another briefing around 2:45pm.
Residents can stay updated on the event on the City website, or by following @MonroviaCA on twitter or the City of Monrovia on Facebook.
A massive effort from mutual aid kept an early season brush fire to 10 acres in the hills of Monrovia Saturday morning and into the early afternoon.
Mandatory Evacuations were ordered along the fire’s eastern edge and winds continued to flare up hot spots along the eastern end of the fire
An evacuation center was set up for displaced residents at the Monrovia Community Center, located at 119 W. Palm Ave.

The fire is under investigation. Photos by Terry Miller

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