An 85,000 acre wildfire that covered only 20,000 acres just yesterday is now threatening the Mount Wilson Observatory. Fire crews had to pull back from Mount Wilson leaving the historic Mount Wilson Observatory vulnerable to the fires raging in Southern California.
Mount Wilson Observatory
The blaze called the Station fire is making its way to the Mount Wilson Observatory where the 100-inch Hooker telescope is housed; as well as a 60-inch telescope which is the largest in the world specifically for the general public. Firefighters withdrew from Mount Wilson earlier today. From Bloomberg:
“They are still within close proximity for redeployment,” McAlister wrote. “Thus, the good news is that the fire in the observatory’s vicinity seems to have diminished. The bad news is that there are no firefighters presently on the scene.”
Two firefighters were killed when their vehicle overturned as they were battling the Station blaze that is now dangerously close to the Mount Wilson Observatory. The Mount Wilson Observatory is a historic observatory which was founded in 1904. It has been home to many astronomical discoveries such as the magnetic field of the Sun and its role in solar activity and the existence of countless galaxies and the vast size of the Universe.
It’s not clear just how much danger the Mount Wilson Observatory may be in, officials say that the fires near the Observatory have subsided but conditions are right for a flare up. Governor Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in four California counties that are currently being ravaged by the wildfires.
There is a tower camera atop the 150-foot Solar Tower at the Mount Wilson Observatory. You can see the current condition at the Observatory although the camera website is slow due to heavy traffic right now.
Mount Wilson Towercam Video
