The Eaton fire, which officials said had slowed as of Thursday morning, Jan. 9, has spread to Mt. Wilson, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Flames had reached the base of Mt. Wilson late Thursday morning, department spokesperson Carlos Herrera said. Authorities could not say what or how many structures are threatened by the spread, such as communication towers and the Mount Wilson Observatory.
“We have numerous aircraft working in the area at the moment,” Herrera said. “Some of the challenges we’re facing right now is terrain. It makes it hard for us to actually get boots on the ground.”
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Herrera said the slope can allow flames to spread rapidly, further endangering ground crews. The blaze remains at 0% containment as of early Thursday afternoon.
Mt. Wilson has been threatened by numerous fires in recent years, such as the Bobcat fire in 2020. The Observatory, where Edwin Hubble spent his career and was visited by Albert Einstein, narrowly escaped the flames.