PASADENA – Ground crews took aggressive action Tuesday to protect Mount Wilson Observatory, fortifying fire breaks, lighting backfires near the historic 100-inch telescope and spraying fire retardant over the rugged terrain.
In the air, the Martin Mars flying tanker carrying 7,200 gallons of water was called in to drop its payload on the site, which houses the observatory and 30-plus communications towers.
Firefighters, also using water tenders on the ground, tried to beat back any threat from the unpredictable six-day Station fire. By Tuesday morning the blaze covered 112,000 acres. By afternoon it crept ever closer to the complex.
“Everything that’s crossable, I’m crossing,” said Sam Hale, whose grandfather, George Ellery Hale, founded the world-famous observatory in 1904.
“They’re doing what they have to do,” Hale said of the firefighters. “And if the wind doesn’t become our enemy, we might get through this.”
With flames getting too close for comfort early Monday morning, firefighters and the last two observatory staffers left for safety reasons.
As the immediate threat seemed to lessen, crews returned later in the day to dig firebreaks, and the numbers increased on Tuesday.
“Tactics are continually being modified and reevaluated, due to the almost unique way this fire has acted,” U.S. Fire Service spokesman Bruce Quintelier said Tuesday.
Quintelier said the constantly moving fire appeared to have stalled a little in some spots, but then “rears its head” again, keeping firefighters guessing.
Georgia State University Professor Hal McAlister, director of the observatory, said he has been “riveted” to news reports as he follows the situation from Atlanta.
“There’s a lot of frightening smoke on the mountains, but I’m told it’s back-fires set by firefighters,” he said. “When I heard the firefighters were back up I was ecstatic … and I guess I’m cautiously optimistic. Yesterday I would have been pessimistic.”
McAlister said there a “wide array” of building materials in dozens of structures atop 5,715-foot Mount Wilson, including corrugated steel-skinned domes and science facilities. “Frankly, I’m more confident of the older buildings,” he said.
After being forced to leave Monday, observatory Superintendent Dave Jurasevich said he was now “very encouraged” about the efforts being made.
“I think they’re doing the very best thing they could be doing – lighting backfires,” he said. “They’re ground fires, not burning trees, and these guys know what they’re doing – and they’re doing their best to protect the observatory.”
Although news about the unpredictable fire “changes every five minutes,” Jurasevich said he is encouraged that the fire is being fought on the north side of the ridge as a way to prevent flames “engulfing” the observatory.
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