The Eaton Fire that started in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles flared up Thursday morning and climbed to the summit of Mount Wilson.
The peak high above the San Gabriel Valley is home to communication towers and equipment for the Los Angeles vicinity, and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory.
There are no homes in the area, but flames could be seen near the towers and other structures at the summit. A line of red fire retardant could be seen near the structures.
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Winds were light in the area, but the steep slopes are covered in heavy brush, providing fuel for flames. Roads to the summit are twisting and narrow, making the area difficult to access for fire trucks and crews.
The Observatory located at the summit was founded by George Ellery Hale in 1904. It's construction was an extraordinary engineering accomplishment, and the Observatory became the world's foremost astronomical research facility with what was the largest telescope in the world.
In September 2020, the 41,700-acre Bobcat Fire burned to within 500 feet of the Observatory. Closed for the pandemic at the time, staff members were evacuated. Backfires were set to rid the area of dry vegetation, providing a defensible space for firefighters to protect the peak.
The Eaton Fire near the foothill community of Altadena also prompted evacuation orders in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles after it started Tuesday evening.
Six deaths, two in the Palisades Fire area and four in the Eaton Fire area, have been reported in the fires burning in Los Angeles County. Officials said earlier that five deaths were in the Eaton Fire area.
Among the structures destroyed in the fire was the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation reported that the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, Farnsworth Park's Davies Community Center, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Altadena Golf Course Club House and adjacent buildings were destroyed.
The fire is one of five wildfires burning Thursday in Los Angeles County.
