Bobcat Fire Breaches Monrovia City Limits, Grows to Over 26K Acres

Smoke rising from the Bobcat Fire. – Courtesy photo / Twitter, @Angeles_NF

The Bobcat Fire has grown to 26,368 acres with 6% containment. According to the incident overview, 540 firefighting personnel continue to aggressively attack the fire burning at high elevations, in areas that have not burned in many years.

The fire crossed Monrovia city limits Friday afternoon but has not yet reached Monrovia Canyon Park, according to Monrovia City Manager Dylan Feik. In a written update he shared, “Firefighting crews have spent a considerable amount of time building defensive lines on the western and southern edges of the fire, which is located directly above Monrovia. The fire is being closely watched and fire crews are continuing to work on opening dozer lines and utilizing road systems to slow progression of the fire. The Bobcat Fire will likely burn for some time until it is fully contained by crews.”

Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Altadena, Duarte and Pasadena. As of Friday afternoon, no evacuation orders in these communities have been issued. However, fire and local officials remind residents to stay well-informed as this is an evolving incident.

Early Friday morning, Feik reported that traffic jams, created by out-of-towners taking photographs of the fire, had become a safety concern. “Monrovia Police will continue to set up checkpoints to discourage everyone, especially visitors and gawkers, from impeding potential evacuation routes,” he wrote. Resident closures will be issued for areas north of Foothill under the city’s evacuation warnings, meaning those travelling through will be asked to show ID or proof of residence for access to areas.

The information center set up at the Monrovia Community Center will be closed Friday night and reopen Saturday morning at 7 a.m., but a dedicated line for questions will still be available 24/7. at (626) 256-8246.

The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region has closed the temporary evacuation point at Santa Anita Park (285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia, CA 91007) and will provide virtual assistance for anyone impacted by the Bobcat Fire. The Red Cross will continue to monitor the situation and has teams on standby to reopen the evacuation site, if needed.

Per the latest incident report, two L.A. County Blackhawks are working the perimeter control in the southwest portion of the fire. The 6% containment was attained near the eastern edge of the fire where burn scars from the Ranch2 Fire have created less intense fire behavior for 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, are expected to create challenges for crews. Fire crews will continue on opening dozer lines and utilizing the road system to slow progression of the fire Friday. Local fire departments will continue to conduct structure protection planning and triage efforts within the foothill communities.

Smoke and ash can be seen miles away from the many active fires throughout the region causing the South Coast Air Quality Management District to Declare an unhealthy air quality advisory in several areas throughout Los Angeles County through Friday. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation has also announce that it will temporarily close several park locations, programming, and amenities and cancel specific programming through the weekend due to poor air quality.

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