Firefighters battle to protect NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mt. Wilson
Officials said they are making progress in protecting two key institutions from the Eaton fire.
Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which has joined in the Eaton fire response, said that efforts to protect Mt. Wilson had proved successful and he expected that to remain the case.
“We’re actively engaged there, and so far, no loss to any values at risk at Mt. Wilson,” Fregulia said. “We’re feeling good about what we have to do up there tonight to keep that site secure.”
Ten people have died and more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Experts say L.A. is not out of danger yet and the fires may be the costliest wildfire disaster in U.S. history.
He said the fire had also spread close to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but he said that’s a priority and crews were “making good progress there as well.”
However, the higher up the firefight goes in the mountains the greater challenge with winds, he said.
Pacific Palisades appeared more like a moonscape of destruction than an upscale neighborhood known for its ocean views, beautiful vistas and celebrity denizens.
“We get the aircraft up and we get them flying, and then it’s just too dangerous for the pilots and they have to come back down,” he said. “So it’s a constant evaluation, … we’re being successful when we’re able to fly them.”
The Eaton Fire has burned 13,690 acres and roughly 5,000 structures in Altadena and Pasadena. Additional evacuation orders were mandated Thursday afternoon when flames climbed toward Mount Wilson.
Other mandatory evacuations were lifted as city officials notified residents in Glenoaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon that it was safe to return to their homes.
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