29K-Acre Bobcat Fire Blankets Southland In Smoke And Ash

MONROVIA , CA — Firefighters continued to work through the night to keep the massive Bobcat Fire from moving farther south toward foothill communities, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The blaze, which broke out Sunday, has now scorched 29,245 acres and remains only 6% contained. As thousands of residents in foothill communities spent the week bracing for potential evacuations, millions across the Southland endured smothering smoke and ash from the fore in the Angeles National Park. A smoke advisory is in effect Saturday in most of Los Angeles County and parts of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties due to the Bobcat Fire. Crews don't expect to have the blaze fully contained until mid October. But the spread of the fire appears to be slowing as it moves into burn scars from a series of recent wildfires.

"Fire crews will continue to focus on increasing containment lines along the south end of the fire to protect the foothill communities," officials said Saturday morning. "Local fire departments will continue to conduct structure protection within the foothill communities. Crews will also be working on the north end to keep the fire south of Highway 2 and west of Highway 39."

The Bobcat Fire, which erupted midday Sunday near the Cogswell Dam and West Fork Day Use area, prompted evacuation warnings in seven San Gabriel Valley foothill communities and was not expected to be fully contained until Oct. 15.

Firefighters worked into the overnight hours to hold the fire just above West Fork on Highway 39 while strengthening containment lines and slowing progress of the fire from moving farther south toward foothill communities, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

"The eastern portion of the fire was burning downhill and entering into a burn scar from the Ranch2 Fire, creating less intense fire behavior for firefighters. Much of the western side of the fire was entering an old burn scar as well, which reduces the rate of spread," firefighting officials said.

The Ranch 2 Fire broke out Aug. 13 near Azusa and has burned 4,237 acres. It was at 93% containment this weekend.

"The recent Ranch 2 Fire, Fish Fire and the 2009 Station Fire are helping to slow fire progression, however the Bobcat Fire continues to burn north and east where there is no fire history in the last 80 years and in the San Gabriel Wilderness," the Forest Service said.

The most activity was in the north and south ends of the fire, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Through Saturday, smoke and ash are expected in portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties, and unhealthy or higher Air Quality Index levels due to particulate matter concentrations are possible in areas of direct smoke impacts through Saturday, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Evacuation warnings remain in effect in the foothill communities of Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, Altadena and Arcadia.

The Angeles Crest Highway 2 was closed from Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Big Pines and Highway 39 was closed at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road to the Angeles Crest Highway 2.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.