ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST — Firefighters achieved 49 percent containment Saturday of the 10-day-old Station Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest north of La Caada Flintridge, authorities said.
The wildfire, which has been determined to have been started by arson, has scorched 154,655 acres as of Saturday morning, according to U.S. Forest Service Officials.
The fire edge has remained in place about three miles north of foothill communities of the San Gabriel Valley for several days.
In a written statement issued , U.S. Forest Service officials said firefighters made solid progress in defending those communities from the flames.
“Control line has now been completed from Mt. Wilson to and along the Rincon Truck Trail,” the statement said. “If necessary, this line will be used to stop the fire spread into the communities of Monrovia, Sierra Madre and Duarte.”
The fire in that area was of low intensity and moving very slowly Saturday, officials added.
U.S. Forest Service Incident Commander Mike Dietrich has said the prognosis for those communities is “looking very good,” he added that he can make no guarantees, and the danger has not passed.
Dietrich and the other commanders managing the wildfire held a meeting Friday in Azusa to update residents of Azusa, Duarte and Bradbury on the situation, and inform them that orderly plans were in place in case evacuations become necessary.
Firefighters prepared Saturday to carry out a controlled burn on the north slope of Mt. Wilson in order to reduce the amount of fuel available for the wildfire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The most intense fire Saturday was burning in the San Gabriel Wilderness, deep within the Angeles National Forest, authorities added.
U.S. Forest Service officials said the entire western flank of the massive blaze has now been contained.
An intentional burn carried out in the Bear Mountain and Chilao areas of the forest significantly reduced the threat to that area, authorities added.
The Station Fire has destroyed or damaged 89 homes, three commercial properties, 104 outbuildings and two communications sites, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
Two firefighters have been killed battling the fire, making the fire not only an arson, but a double-homicide, sheriff’s officials said.
Nine other people have been injured, including three civilians who failed to heed evacuation warnings and were badly burned.