Some officials say spread of Station fire appears to be slowing [Updated]

 "It's all coming together in the next few days. I see progress," U.S. Forest Service Incident Cmdr. Mike Dietrich said after briefing his troops Monday night.

The feeling was echoed by Los Angeles County Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bryant, who said the fire behaved in a more civilized manner today. 

[Updated, 10:19 p.m.: Officials said they based their assessment that the fire was slowing slightly on the fact that it appeared to move fastest overnight, from 6 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday. During the day Monday it moved more slowly, they said.]

The last couple of days were "unprecedented," with the fire blazing through 25,000 acres in an eight-hour period, he said.  Fifty-three structures have been destroyed so far, but that number is expected to rise as crews continue to survey damaged areas.

Bryant said he's never seen a fire act this way unless it was whipped by Santa Ana winds.

"We haven't seen something like this in years," Bryant said.

But Monday, the fire slowed a bit. On Sunday night, fire officials said flames would certainly overrun the top of Mt. Wilson. A day later, Bryant said the fire might just go around the peak and its vital communication towers.

"Things are looking pretty good for now," he said.

In the once-threatened community of Briggs Terrace, crews set back-fires using flares from the top of the ridge, gradually working their way down toward the homes. The burnouts neutralized the danger of the wildfire coming down, said Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service.

"Everybody in that neighborhood has nothing to worry about," he said."There's no fuel to burn. We took it away."

Firefighters cut a break between the homes and the burnout nearest them, but the winds were burning up-slope during the operation anyway, Judy said.

Damage assessment teams have confirmed 53 structures that have burned -- both homes and cabins -- mostly in Big Tujunga, Stoneyvale, La Crescenta and Acton. But Bryant said that is only what is confirmed so far, and the number will probably rise.

-- Hector Becerra

Photo: A towering pyrocumulus cloud from the superheated Station fire in Angeles National Forest billows into a blue sky behind downtown Los Angeles on Monday afternoon. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Photos: Southland wildfires	Interactive map: The Station fire

Fire grows to more than 122,000 acres; officials hope for improved conditions

Firefighters died in effort to escape

Evacuee who may have lost home awaits word on animals left behind

Mt. Wilson webcam: The 150-Foot Solar Tower

L.A. County Fire Department: The latest

Twitter: Follow @latimescitydesk | @latimesfires

Comments

[chilicheeze]

It looks like the fire has reached the Wilson Observatory - the current live web cam from http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~obs/towercam.htm is frightening. You can clearly see the fire on the ridges now.

[chilicheeze]

Here is a Wilson Solar Observatory webcam cap from 9:43 this evening: http://i26.tinypic.com/x2m3xv.jpg

[John]

Progress ?

I keep hearing "out of control" and ONLY 5% containded the last 2 days?

[naeiri]

pleeeease let us know if you know where the homes that burned in la crescenta were situated... people are waiting to find out with no news.

[John]

And 2 Super Scoopers sit idle @ Van Nuys airport!

WHY ! WHY !

[Bryan M.]

Thank you for your continuing coverage of the fires.

This isn't just a human story of loss, though. 105,000 acres have burned -- that means a lot of roasted animals.

I have yet to see any writing on the actual wildlife that live in these burning areas -- what is the impact to them? -- I am assuming thousands and thousands of animals are dying? I saw AP photos of a poor deer running from flames.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Most-Recommended-Photos/ss/1750;_ylt=AjLPHcxexN3ky4PAisTqJ9QFO7gF

I don't know lots about wildlife, but I go hiking; I know they're out there. How about balancing the human stories with some word on the plant and animal damage - not just the handful of houses and unfortunate people that have perished.

Most LA dwellers don't even know that the mountains are full of life, from bears and owls to deer and unique insects. These creatures' home is burning, and they can't just hop in their car and evacuate.

What is the toll everytime we have one of these fires, usually caused by one of us?

Bryan M.
Candidate, Master of Landscape Architecture
College of Environmental Design
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

[Bryan M.]

Editors, please put a stop to the antiquated use of the terms "BRUSH" and "brushfires." These oversimplifications should be eliminated.

When the fire department and media refer to our native ecosystems as simply "brush" it devalues a rich habitat and perpetuates the public misconception that our hillsides are just dry brown weeds which serve no purpose.

Any one who has hiked in our mountains knows that our COASTAL SAGE SCRUB and CHAPARRAL ecosystems are home to diverse shrubs, trees and wildflowers of every kind, plant species with fascinating differences and adaptations which create habitat that supports a whole chain of wildlife.

Visitors from the East Coast and Midwest remark with amazement that we have such dramatic mountains right next to our sprawling metropolis, yet most Angelenos hardly know them unless they burn.

"Wildfire?" yes. "Brushfire?" No. It shows dangerous ignorance of the uniqueness and value of our native flora. These are internationally recognized, endangered ecosystems; some of the most biodiverse on the planet, and home to a number of endangered species.

If the public doesn't know how special our wild areas are, then no wonder we have wildfires every year -- often caused by someone who "simply" wasn't careful.

Also, any word yet on possible causes of all these fires?

[Mike]

I don't think the image in the webcam shows fire. I think those are just electric lights glowing. The image hasn't changed a bit in over an hour.

[Anthony]

Where are the fire bombers? They sit idle all over the country when they could be there in no time. The russians have an enormous fire plane but the fire marshall refused it when they offered it to us for free a couple of years ago. Sounds like the fire men think getting overtime pay is worth more than public a coworker safety.

[Virginia Hoge]

The Mount Wilson towercam is still operational which means Mount Wilson is ok, for now.

[easeltine]

Yesterday evening looked much better than the evening before.
The firefighters, and police are doing a super job!

[Annie Lawson]

I'm trying to find out if the Station Fire crossed over the 210. I have friends that live on Sunland Blvd. not far from the 210. Sun. night they could see the fire from their driveway. Does anyone have any idea if this fire burned homes on little hills on Sunland Blvd?