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View Winners → Evacuation Warning in Place for Monrovia Residents in Foothill Area Below Bobcat Fire
Monrovia Weekly Sep 08, 2020
If an evacuation order is issued, the City of Monrovia will coordinate evacuations in two phases. – Courtesy illustration / City of Monrovia
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Monday night, the Unified Incident Command Team — including the Monrovia Fire Department, United States Forest Service and the Los Angeles County Fire Department — directed Monrovia residents in the foothill area below the Bobcat Fire to be prepared to evacuate. With Santa Ana Winds expected throughout the day Tuesday and a red flag warning issued through Wednesday, officials anticipate erratic fire behavior.
Ifan evacuation order is issued, the City of Monrovia will coordinate evacuationsin two phases. The first phase will include all residents north of HillcrestBoulevard and Greystone Avenue. The second phases will include residents livingbetween Hillcrest Boulevard and Greystone Avenue, south to Foothill Boulevard.
Residentswill be notified of the evacuation order by the emergency alert system. TheMonrovia Police Department and other agencies will also notify residents in theaffected neighborhoods ordered to evacuate.
TheMonrovia Community Center is now serving as an “Information and Cooling Center”where up-to-date information can be found. The number of the Community Centeris (626) 256-8246.
Accordingto the city, information on evacuation sites are being prepared and moreinformation will be released if and evacuation order is issued.
Residents with large animals should begin moving them now. Accommodations are being made for animals at the Pomona Fairgrounds and Santa Anita Park but capacity is limited. To find out more information regarding the evacuation centers, call (800) RED-CROSS (733-2767).
Monrovia city staff received an incident update Tuesday morning. According to a written update from City Manager Dylan Feik, the fire continues to burn slowly towards Monrovia and teams will be working to build dozer lines, focused on the western and southern edges of the fire, in preparation for the Santa Ana winds. Air support has been requested and four to five helicopters and tankers are expected to be operational Tuesday.
“We have been told to plan for the fire to get worse and we are asking all residents to be prepared and ready if an Evacuation Order is issued. Even when we don’t see flames on the hill, the Santa Ana winds can change the fire conditions incredibly quickly. We are trying to give as much advance notice as possible and we will provide updates as frequently as we can,” wrote Feik.
Smoke from the fire has also caused unhealthy air quality in the area.
TheBobcat Fire erupted in the Angeles National Forest on Sunday at 12:21 p.m. Thefire is located near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area. The cause ofthis fire is currently under investigation.
As of Tuesday morning, the fire had burned 4,871 acres and remained at 0% containment. Currently, there are limited resources for the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The City of Monrovia will provide regular updates at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. every day during the emergency.
TheCity of Duarte also issued an evacuation warning for the Duarte Mesa, the areaoff of Mt. Olive north of Woodlyn Lane in Bradbury.
TheU.S. Forest Services has also announced that the Angeles National Forest willbe closed to all activity until Monday, Sept. 14. The closure includes all USFSroads, trails, campgrounds and day-use sites.
