Monrovia Evacuation Possible, According to Police
By Susan Motander, Terry Miller, and Beacon Media Staff
Hundreds of homes remained under voluntary and mandatory evacuations late Tuesday, June 21, as twin wildfires charred more than 4,900 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Fire officials have now dubbed the incident – consisting of both the “Fish Fire” in Duarte and the “Reservoir Fire” in Azusa – as the “San Gabriel Complex Fire.”
As of Wednesday, June 21, the wildfires have burned a total of about 4,900 acres: 3,700 in the Fish Fire and 1,200 in the Reservoir Fire.
At about 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Monrovia’s Chief of Police Jim Hunt commented that evacuations will probably be required in the Northeast section of Monrovia. He said that the now renamed San Gabriel Fire was burning across the ridges behind Duarte and heading west behind the foothill communities.
“We will call for an evacuation of the area north of Greystone and east of Foothill if Bradbury is ordered evacuated,” Hunt said. “This afternoon, if the wind shifts as it usually does, we will need to evacuate.”
630 firefighters were attempting to get control of the fire, but officials have been short on resources due to the nearly 8,000-acre Sherpa Fire in Santa Barbara County and the 7,500-acre Border Fire in San Diego County, according to Cal Fire officials.
Both fires began within an hour of each other during mid-day on Monday, June 20.
The Fish Fire forced about 600 residents in Duarte to evacuate 400 homes, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
About 80 LASD deputies have been deployed to evacuation areas to help residents and to protect against potential looting, said Sheriff’s Commander David Halm.
Large animals can be taken to Gate 12 at the Pomona Fairplex, located at 1101 W. McKinley Ave.
The Reservoir Fire began following a fatal crash involving a pickup truck that went over the side of Highway 39 near Morris Dam.
The community of Mountain Cove, along with Camp Williams and Glendora Mountain Road, were under a mandatory evacuation, and Highway 39 was closed on Monday to all but emergency traffic.
A smoke advisory was also in effect for the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding areas.
