California Wildfire More Than Doubles on Sixth Day

Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES, Aug 31 (Reuters) - A deadly wildfire roaring through mountains north of Los Angeles for a sixth day more than doubled in size on Monday and posed a lingering threat to Mount Wilson, a broadcast and communications hub and the site of an historic observatory.

Two veteran firefighters died on Sunday when they were overrun by flames in the Angeles National Forest and rugged San Gabriel Mountains. Nearly 2,600 firefighting personnel, some from as far away as Montana and Wyoming, have been assembled to battle the blaze.

The burned area ballooned to 105,000 acres (42,490 hectares) from 42,000 acres reported late on Sunday, and the fire continued to encroach on the 5,700-foot (1,740-metre) peak of Mount Wilson.

Fire crews were removed from the summit, home to 50 buildings plus a world-famous array of telescopes and a critical cluster of transmission towers for broadcasters.

"They've done everything they can do and it's unsafe for them to be there when the fire hits," Los Angeles County fire Captain Mark Whaling said.

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/americasCrisis/idUSN31442650