Station Fire Update 9-5
The fire in the Angeles National Forest has now burned over 154,655 acres [≅ 242 miles²] and at least 76 homes, three commercial buildings and 27 outbuildings. The cost estimate is >$37 million. It is 49% contained.
The firefighters are setting backfires to eliminate fuel sources and widening fire lanes to stop the spread to surrounding communities. Most of the active fire activity is in the San Gabriel Wilderness.
The smoke from the Station Fire has been spread all the way East to the Mississippi River, as can be seen on the Smoke Map below.
The Station Fire was started by an arsonist near mile marker 29 on the Angeles Crest Highway (SR 2) about one mile above Angeles Crest Fire Station near a Forest Ranger station [the source of the name] around 3:30pm [PDT] Wednesday August 26, 2009.
The state is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fire.
Two Los Angeles County firefighters have died in a motor vehicle accident escaping a burnover. In addition there have been 3 civilians and 10 firefighters reported injured.
Currently there are 121 hand crews, 419 engines, 43 water tenders, 66 dozers, 11 air tankers, 19 helicopters, and 5,244 total personnel assigned to the fire.
The aircraft now include the 747 Supertanker [20,000 gallons], Tanker 910 [DC-10 12,000 gallons], Mars Hawaii Superscooper [7,200 gallons], and two Canadair 415 water scoopers [1,600 gallons] from the Province of Quebec.
Links: InciWeb, LA Times, KTLA, and Pasadena Star-News
Maps: LA Times fire map, the Enplan Wildfire Viewer, and the Weather Underground Smoke Map.
[For more information go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Fires” for all of the posts related to wildfires on this site.]
