Containment will increase on Fork fireplace burning above Glendora

Firefighters started to encircle the Fork fireplace burning within the Angeles National Forest on Saturday, July 20, with water-dropping helicopters having success pounding the flanks of the blaze burning in distant, rugged terrain.

The dimension of the fireplace burning above Glendora held at 330 acres, the U.S. Forest Service mentioned in its night replace. But the containment grew to 30% from 0% Saturday. Containment is the proportion of a fireplace’s border that officers imagine flames gained’t breach.

The fireplace, burning in a northeast course towards the Sheep Mountain Wilderness, was not threatening any properties.

“Is the fireplace rocking and rolling? No, it’s not,” mentioned John Miller, a Forest Service spokesman. “It is testing us in a few spots.”

Those embrace the top of the fireplace at its northeastern edge. There, helicopter crews dropped water to chill the fireplace. Helicopters additionally attacked sizzling spots. In one of many few areas the place floor crews might entry the flames, firefighters laid hose strains on the again finish of the fireplace to construct a containment line.

“It’s extraordinarily steep and rugged terrain,” Miller mentioned. “You couple that with the new climate, and that creates fairly the problem for firefighters on the bottom.”

The climate is a priority. Extreme warmth and low humidity, with a risk of robust, gusty afternoon winds, are forecast via Wednesday that might revive dormant areas of the fireplace. And there’s a slight likelihood of dry lightning, Miller mentioned.

Two firefighters have been injured, the Forest Service mentioned. Celeste Morales, a Forest Service spokeswoman, declined to explain the seriousness of the accidents.

The fireplace prompted officers to shut a portion of San Gabriel Canyon Road. Caltrans mentioned the highway, often known as Highway 39, is closed in each instructions on the San Gabriel Canyon Gateway Center close to Ranch Road in Azusa till a minimum of Thursday. Residents with identification might be allowed in.

As a results of the fireplace, Caltrans suspended work scheduled for Monday via Friday to restore a slope on the highway.

The fireplace began round 3:30 p.m. Friday and grew to greater than 330 acres by Saturday, sending up a big plume of smoke and spreading quickly close to in style tenting and mountain climbing areas, prompting evacuations of trails and different spots.

“The total San Gabriel Canyon space is closed,” Dana Dierkes, spokeswoman for the Angeles National Forest, mentioned Saturday.

More info on the fireplace will be discovered on the web site inciweb.wildfire.gov.