Mount Wilson Brush Fire: 50-Acres Burned; Body Discovered

ARCADIA, CA — The Mount Wilson fire is still burning at 50-acres, and now 45-percent containment, fire officials from the Angeles National Forest Service Fire Department said. The slow moving, smoldering blaze could be revved up by expected Santa Ana winds, Thursday. A charred body of a man was discovered was discovered at the scene Wednesday afternoon, according to coroner's Assistant Chief, Ed Winter.

440 firefighters from multiple agencies are at work on the fire. Water-dropping helicopters and air tankers have helped firefighters keep the blaze in check, although it continues to creep and smolder, authorities said.

On Tuesday, San Gabriel Valley woke up to a plume of smoke from Mount Wilson Tuesday, flames visible across the county in the early morning light. The brush fire was initially reported at just before 5 a.m. off of Mount Wilson-Red Box Road.

The fire is burning in an area of steep terrain, making firefighting from the ground difficult, according to Los Angeles County Fire Engineer and information officer David Dantic.

"The fires are close to the towers, and our biggest concern is to get that fire out," Dantic said on Tuesday morning. "With the red flag warning at an end, there is always fire danger with dry conditions."

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Crescenta Valley Station assisted with evacuating the Mount Wilson Observatory employees that were there overnight. The 140 residents of nearby Chantry Flats were notified about the fire, but were not told to evacuate, Angeles National Forest officials said.

The slow moving brush fire is moving in slight breezes of 15-17 miles per hour, and 9-percent humidity, according to the National Weather Service reports. Area weather will be warm today as firefighters continue to battle the brush fire.

The Mount Wilson fire appears to have begun near the Mount Wilson Observatory, and is burning near the Mount Wilson communication towers, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported. At this point, there are no structures threatened. Active flames are south of the observatory.

Read: Mount Wilson Fire: Man's Charred Body Discovered

Helicopters and a SuperScooper aircraft were deployed to make water drops, due to the steep terrain, and 300 firefighters are on scene battling the blaze, including the Angeles National Forest Service firefighters, Los Angeles County Fire and Cal Fire departments. The fire began at the top of the hill and is burning downhill, according to reports from the scene. Night vision was worn during pre-dawn hours, helicopters able to make precision water drops early on.

"We are relying on water drops from the air, due to the steep terrain," Dantic said. One of the helicopters working the fire included an Erickson Arcane helitanker, capable of dropping over 25,000 gallons of water an hour.

No injuries were reported and no structures have been threatened, according to the county Fire Department, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Smoke spread to the south east, and residents in San Gabriel Valley saw and smelled smoke Tuesday morning, many woke to see flames at the top of the mountain and shared those photos on social media. Drivers on the 210 Freeway could also see smoke and fire at 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.

As the sun rose, open flames were still visible from miles away.

This is a developing story, and more information will be added as it is released.

Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff Photo