Officials say they are making good progress in protecting two important sites from the Eaton fire.
Don Fregulia, an operations chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said crews have successfully protected Mt. Wilson so far and are confident they can keep it safe through the night.
“We are working hard there, and so far, nothing has been damaged at Mt. Wilson,” Fregulia said. “We feel good about our plan to keep it secure tonight.”
The fire has also come close to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), but Fregulia said protecting it is a priority, and crews are doing well there too.
However, as the fire moves higher into the mountains, winds make it harder to fight. “We send aircraft to help, but sometimes it becomes too dangerous for the pilots, so they have to come back down,” he said. “We’re constantly evaluating, and we succeed when it’s safe to fly.”
The Eaton Fire has burned 13,690 acres and about 5,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena. On Thursday afternoon, new evacuation orders were issued as flames moved toward Mt. Wilson.
Meanwhile, some residents in Glenoaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon were allowed to return home after officials said it was safe.
