This from Ann Erdman, Pasadena’s PIO: (Photo from Ron Berry)
During some testing a few minutes ago, one of our gas turbines at the Pasadena Power Plant caught fire. A fire suppression system came on automatically and put out the fire, but there is a smell of burnt oil in the vicinity. The Pasadena Fire Department responded as well.
There has been no interruption in delivery of electrical service in Pasadena.
There are several smoke animations on the web, including the SSD Fire Detection Map.This satellite image comes from the NOAA:
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST – An explosive, heat-driven wildfire burned its way up San Gabriel Canyon Road on Wednesday, blackening more than 1,700 acres above Azusa and threatening more. Meanwhile, a second fire emerged several miles west along the Angeles Crest Highway above La Caada Flintridge.
Temperatures near 100 degrees and relative humidity in the single digits fueled the Morris Fire, which started Tuesday afternoon on the side of the weaving mountain road above Azusa. By Wednesday evening officials said it was only 10 percent contained.
“It definitely has the potential to grow,” said Pam Bierce, a spokeswoman with the Southern California Incident Management team, the federal government agency that is coordinating the firefighting effort.
Here’s a bulletin from the National Weather Service for Azusa, where a 700 acre wildfire continues to burn above Morris Dam:
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO WILL WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD...AND SLIDE OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BY FRIDAY. ALONG WITH WEAKENING ONSHORE FLOW...THIS WILL BRING A RETURN TO HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS OVER MOST OF SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WHEN WIDESPREAD TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE INTERIOR AND VALLEY SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHLAND. TEMPERATURES UP TO AROUND 106 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED IN THE HOTTEST LOCATIONS. A FEW TEMPERATURE RECORDS COULD BE BROKEN. SINCE THE ONSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO BE FAIRLY WEAK WITH THIS HEAT EVENT...EVEN THE WARMEST INLAND PORTIONS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN WILL LIKELY SOAR INTO THE 90S. THE BEST RELIEF WILL BE NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST WHERE TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN IN THE 70S AND 80S. THE AIR MASS IS EXPECTED TO BE FAIRLY DRY THROUGH THIS WEEK. ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD HELP KEEP HEAT INDEX READINGS FROM REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS...HUMIDITY READINGS WILL FALL INTO SINGLE DIGITS OVER THE INTERIOR VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS. THIS WILL BRING HEIGHTENED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS...ESPECIALLY TO THE MOUNTAIN AREAS WHERE LITTLE TO NO OVERNIGHT RECOVERIES ARE EXPECTED. SOME SUB-TROPICAL MOISTURE MAY RETURN TO SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND...WHICH COULD HELP HUMIDITIES RECOVER ABOVE SINGLE DIGITS. THE LONG DURATION HEAT EVENT COULD POSE HEALTH HAZARDS FOR ANYONE OUTDOORS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY...SMALL CHILDREN...AND PETS. IF YOU PLAN ON BEING OUTDOORS...REMEMBER TO REMAIN HYDRATED BY DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER...WEAR LOOSE-FITTING CLOTHING AND A HAT...AND REMAIN IN THE SHADE OR INDOORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN CARS WITH THE WINDOWS UP OR CRACKED DURING THE DAY...EVEN FOR A VERY SHORT TIME...AS TEMPERATURES CAN QUICKLY REACH LETHAL LEVELS.
Amanda Baumfeld reports:
WEST COVINA – Authorities said Monday police are not certain the firebombings of two homes in the South Hills are linked, despite the fact that both incidents took place within weeks of each other on the same tiny street.
Early Saturday morning, the home of Robert Ho, 51, in the 3200 block of Hampton Drive was practically gutted after several incendiary devices were hurled through windows. Six weeks ago, Ho said he stopped a similar attack on a neighbor’s home.
“We are not 100 percent sure they are related,” West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said. “It’s quite a great deal of stuff to happen in one area. There might be a connection.”
Neither the police nor Ho could provide a damage estimate following the fire.
The West Covina Police department has neither contacted federal officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms nor the FBI, agencies typically charged with investigating firebombings and arsons, Mitchell said.
The Sierra Madre emergency alert system is flying a green flag today — which means the city is in Stage One alert mode for potential mudslides.
The system alerts residents to mudslide danger on local hillsides. It grew out of a wildfire last spring that destroyed several acres fo brush in the foothills just above the tiny San Gabriel Valley community.
Here’s what a Green Flag means, according to the site:
The City’s state of emergency level is now at Stage One: GREEN FLAG–Activated under a prediction of 80%–100% chance of precipitation. Affected residents should get “READY” for potential evacuation. This includes keeping a close watch on weather forecasts.
Here’s some city links of interest:
Last week a special unit of the ATF took over the investigation of the multi-million dollar Alhambra apartment fire.
This comes from an inter-office note, this morning:
Alhambra fire says they’ve wrapped up their investigation of last week’s big fire and now know the cause, which they’re releasing at 2 p.m. today.
Here’s the Fire Department’s scanner traffic.
A three-alarm fire torched several buildings near 3rd and Main Tuesday night.
The cause of the blaze was unknown. Several residences and business were without power when the fire brokeout. The blaze apparently started in a condo or apartment complex that is under construction.
Several other buildings appeared to catch fire as well.
Firefighters from Alhambra, South Pasadena and Los Angeles County responded to the thre-alarm blaze, officials said.
The amount of damage caused by the blaze was unknown. It is unknown if there were any injuries.
– Frank C. Girardot
Just saw KCBS/KCAL reporter Serene Branson do a story on this video. Thought I’d share it with Crime Scene readers: