Mt. Wilson in Los Angeles County facing a wildfire threat

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/bo...al-forest-mount-wilson-observatory-evacuated/

An evacuation order was issued for the Mount Wilson Observatory and multiple campgrounds Monday due to the Bobcat Fire, which has grown to 4,871 acres as it continues to burn out of control in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa.

The fast-moving blaze erupted around 12:20 p.m. Sunday near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area, according to the federal InciWeb site.

Containment remains at 0%, and incoming Santa Ana winds are threatening to make the blaze much more dangerous for nearby San Gabriel Valley communities.
About 100 personnel have been dispatched to the fire, which is spreading rapidly through heavy brush and timber, and in steep, remote and difficult-to-access terrain, according to officials.

“The fire could experience explosive growth,” the Crescenta Valley sheriff’s station said.

An unknown number of structures remain threatened.

Mount Wilson is known as the area where Los Angeles TV and FM stations have their OTA Transmitters from and that is on fire watch due to the Santa Ana Winds. Not exactly sure how many people are exactly watching TV on OTA but if that goes away due to fire then the only place to watch wildfire updates would have to be through the station App streams.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Wilson_(California)

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/fo...inds-threaten-to-fuel-10000-acre-bobcat-fire/

Now the San Gabriel Valley are on the lookout over the Bobcat fire in relation to evacuation orders.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Mount Wilson is known as the area where Los Angeles TV and FM stations have their OTA Transmitters from and that is on fire watch due to the Santa Ana Winds. Not exactly sure how many people are exactly watching TV on OTA but if that goes away due to fire then the only place to watch wildfire updates would have to be through the station App streams.

Almost all the major Class B LA FMs are up on Wilson, some sharing sites with TV stations.

KROQ, Alt, and the two SBS FMs are on little ridges that are not part of the San Gabriel range, and are relatively safe. Many of the Mt Wilson FMs have aux sites at those locations and at the old KPWR site between Glendale and Pasadena.

There is also a lot of civil authority radio stuff up there. When we had the last Mt Wilson fire, there was risk of losing services such as the radio communication with power company trucks and the like.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/...early-20000-acres-with-0-containment/2426243/

Here is an update for one of the Fires. One of the fires estimated containment is October 15th. But then again Calfire has been spread thin due to other fires in the state.

The Bobcat Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest has blackened 23,890 acres and was 0% contained Thursday morning as six San Gabriel Valley foothill communities were under an evacuation warning.

The U.S. Forest Service estimates that the fire -- which broke out at midday Sunday near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area -- will not be contained until Oct. 15.

On Thursday morning, the fire was moving in a northeasterly direction, and more than 530 firefighters were working to extinguish the flames, according to the Forest Service. No structural damage or injuries have been reported.

Firefighters focused Wednesday "on the southern area of the fire to take advantage of the favorable wind direction and protect foothill communities,'' according to a statement from the U.S. Forest Service, which added offshore winds pushed the fire east and across Highway 39.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://ktla.com/news/evacuation-or...s-bobcat-fire-grows-to-more-than-30000-acres/

The massive wildfire that has been burning in the Angeles National Forest for a week has prompted an evacuation order for some residents of Arcadia and Sierra Madre on Sunday.

Arcadia and Sierra Madre officials ordered all residents north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue to evacuate due to “dangerous wildfire conditions.” That’s about 32 homes in Sierra Madre, according to the city.

Authorities advised residents to take Santa Anita Avenue to leave.

The Red Cross said it has reopened an evacuation point at Gate 5 of Santa Anita Park.

“Please come to the evacuation point if you need refuge; every resident will be given safe lodging and food,” the group said.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/09/14/bobcat-fire-bearing-down-on-mount-wilson-observatory/

Update on Mount Wilson. If you are in the LA Area and wondering why FM and OTA TV signals might go off the air its because there is a fire warning near Mount Wilson (The Location for LA's TV and FM transmitters) The stations will tell you go to their apps and website in the event their OTA signals are cut off due to fires.

ARCADIA (CBSLA) – The battle against the continually growing Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Monrovia entered its ninth day Monday, with several hundred homes under orders to evacuate and the Mount Wilson area at risk.

The fire grew to 36,366 acres Monday morning and remained only 6% contained. No homes have been destroyed so far.

Winds Sunday helped push out some of the smoke that has enveloped the region, but also helped fuel the fire.

“The thing that breaks my heart is that there’s some old, old trees up there that have never been burned that are gone now,” Arcadia resident John Matheny told CBSLA Monday, reminiscing about some of the trails he has hiked with his sons.

An evacuation order was issued for portions of Arcadia and Sierra Madre Sunday afternoon. They apply to all residents north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue. It includes about 300 homes.

 

[DavidEduardo]

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/09/14/bobcat-fire-bearing-down-on-mount-wilson-observatory/

Update on Mount Wilson. If you are in the LA Area and wondering why FM and OTA TV signals might go off the air its because there is a fire warning near Mount Wilson (The Location for LA's TV and FM transmitters) The stations will tell you go to their apps and website in the event their OTA signals are cut off due to fires.

As stated before, the FMs won't be doing that. All but one or two (like KPFK) have auxiliary sites with full power down on lower mountains like the Verdugos and Flint Peak and at the Clear Channel site on Mulholland Drive.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/artic...-more-than-1000-homes-in-southern-california/

LOS ANGELES — A lack of firefighting resources in the hours after it was sparked allowed a fast-moving wildfire to make an unprecedented run through Southern California mountains and eventually find fuel in old-growth trees to become one of Los Angeles County's largest fires ever, an official said Tuesday.

The Bobcat fire has burned for more than two weeks and was still threatening more than 1,000 homes after scorching its way through brush and timber down into the Mojave Desert. It's one of dozens of other major blazes across the West.

“This is a stubborn fire,” Angeles National Forest spokesman Andrew Mitchell said. Only about 100 firefighters were initially dispatched on Sept. 6 when the Bobcat fire broke out and swiftly grew to about 200 acres (81 hectares), he said.

“To put that into perspective, normally for a fire that size we'd have at least double or triple that number of firefighters,” Mitchell said. At the time, many Southern California ground crews and a fleet of retardant- and water-dropping aircraft were assigned to multiple record-breaking blazes in the northern part of the state.
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Here is more on the Bobcat fire

 

[xkxrx]

News coverage of this fire is saying "Home To $1 Billion Of Towers And Transmitters"...can there really be that much in equipment and towers on the mountain? Perhaps they're including the value of the land?

 

[DavidEduardo]

News coverage of this fire is saying "Home To $1 Billion Of Towers And Transmitters"...can there really be that much in equipment and towers on the mountain? Perhaps they're including the value of the land?

The land is leased; it is owned by the government.

Think of the structures, the towers, the antennae on the towers, the transmitters and the costs of installation.

I'm guessing that each TV station has between $10 and $50 million in brand new digtal transmitters, auxiliary transmitters, generators, towers, new antennae and, usually, an aux antenna, generator, building and spare parts. And lots of labor to install.

Each radio station has close to $1 million in several transmitters, building, generator, antenna systems and towers. I know that the 1998 rebuild of KLVE cost close to $500,000 just for the gear, contract labor, remodeling, one new antenna (out of three), structures, AC, generators and the like. Existing transmitters and gear were used when possible... and that is in '98 dollars.

Then there are other radio services up there, like relays for police services, utilities and other two-way services. Huge value there. The TV stations have their remote gear up there for on location broadcasts, news helicopters, etc.

And remember, the value includes tens of thousands of hours of expensive engineering labor, as well as FCC approval processes for the installation.

I think $1 billion is actually a low estimate.

 

[Frequency1]

The land is leased; it is owned by the government.

Think of the structures, the towers, the antennae on the towers, the transmitters and the costs of installation.

I'm guessing that each TV station has between $10 and $50 million in brand new digtal transmitters, auxiliary transmitters, generators, towers, new antennae and, usually, an aux antenna, generator, building and spare parts. And lots of labor to install.

Each radio station has close to $1 million in several transmitters, building, generator, antenna systems and towers. I know that the 1998 rebuild of KLVE cost close to $500,000 just for the gear, contract labor, remodeling, one new antenna (out of three), structures, AC, generators and the like. Existing transmitters and gear were used when possible... and that is in '98 dollars.

Then there are other radio services up there, like relays for police services, utilities and other two-way services. Huge value there. The TV stations have their remote gear up there for on location broadcasts, news helicopters, etc.

And remember, the value includes tens of thousands of hours of expensive engineering labor, as well as FCC approval processes for the installation.

I think $1 billion is actually a low estimate.

Not all of the land is Government owned. The old CBS 2 site now known as Deer Park is owned by American Tower, The FOX site with KTTV, KCOP, KCET, KLCS and a few radio stations is owned by FOX. There is at least one other piece of privately owned land on top of Mt. Wilson as well. Mt. Harvard about a mile SE of Mt. Wilson where KSCI, KWHY, KUSC among others are located at is also owned by American Tower.

 

[DavidEduardo]

Not all of the land is Government owned. The old CBS 2 site now known as Deer Park is owned by American Tower, The FOX site with KTTV, KCOP, KCET, KLCS and a few radio stations is owned by FOX. There is at least one other piece of privately owned land on top of Mt. Wilson as well. Mt. Harvard about a mile SE of Mt. Wilson where KSCI, KWHY, KUSC among others are located at is also owned by American Tower.

Thank you. I did not know that some land is still private. Most of the land anywhere in the park reverts to the government and can't be sold or improved on.

Of course, the land does not perish in a fire... in fact, it is unique as about the only optimum location for the best coverage of the LA TV market.