Scientists follow the fire

Posted: Monday, August 31, 2009 2:10 PM by Alan Boyle

Hector Mata / AP

Smoke sweeps over Southern California's Mount Wilson Observatory.

Wildfires in California are always a cause for alarm, but the raging Station Fire is particularly alarming for researchers and science fans because it has endangered some of Southern California's astronomical crown jewels, including historic Mount Wilson Observatory and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Even though the worst seems to be over for JPL, only mission-critical employees are at work today, due to concerns about air quality. That means Mars rover operations have been suspended for the day. "The rovers understand," project manager John Callas was quoted as saying.

The outlook is worse for Mount Wilson. Gaggles of science geeks are anxiously monitoring the firefight through Web sites, webcams and Twitter updates. Here are a few of the resources to check - and feel free to add to the list by leaving a comment:

Twitter updates:

@NASAJPL: JPL's official Twitter account.
@jhjones: Jane Houston Jones, astronomer involved with Cassini mission outreach at JPL.
@elakdawalla: Emily Lakdawalla, planetary geologist who blogs for the Planetary Society.
@plutokiller: Mike Brown, Caltech astronomer and dwarf-planet discoverer.
#station: Umbrella search term for Station Fire updates.

Web sites and webcams:

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Comments

With the exception of a three year stint from 2003 - 2006, I've lived in Los Angeles County all my life (I'm fifty-two) on both sides of the San Gabriel range, and before this past weekend, I have NEVER seen smoke plumes as huge as those I saw and photographed Saturday, it looked like a mushroom cloud, no exaggeration. The smoke had to be 20,000 feet in the air. It was absolutely colossal and nearly unbelievable!
Houston, we have a problem.......

P.B.inLosAngeles, Los Angeles, CA. (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 3:01 PM)

I consider that all churchs in California should start praying the Rosary right now. Our Virgin Mary has not let us down. We must talk to her and there. The best way is thru the Rosary. She is a Mother and her Son will hear Her first. Pray.

mercedes (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 4:18 PM)

P.B. in Los Angeles, is not exaggerating. I'm about 10 miles east of the fire in the San Gabriel Valley city of Walnut, and can see the billowing mushroom cloud on the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. It looks like a volcano blew its top off. Looks ominous--much prefer to see them in the winter when they are covered in snow (and good for snowboarding as well).

Danny (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 7:27 PM)

What I can not understand, is why do we continue to build homes in these areas that are prone to fires?? There should be a building code / law that should prohibit building in these mountains.

Sally Ceniceros (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 7:39 PM)

so much fire this year lots of ground being opened and hopfully taking alot of the beetles with it. is it true a forest fire can be too hot for some seeds to recover

the rock (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 8:06 PM)

The last time Angeles Crest had a major fire was in 1933...the year of the great flood that destroyed much of La Crescenta and hurled large boulders down upon Montrose. Once it rains, it is doubtful the washes will contain much of the debris that will fall down the crescent valley. Everyone should get flood insurance ASAP! And be prepared this coming winter....or possibly next week!

Chris, La Crescenta, CA (Sent Monday, August 31, 2009 10:36 PM)

I flew from Las Vegas this morning, headed for San Antonio, and I DID notice a reddish tint to the atmosphere up to about 20,000 feet (my estimation). I had not heard of the fires until just now, but that explains it. Pretty awesome!

Roger (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 12:20 AM)

It's hard to feel sorry for people who insist on living in an area that is known to burn to the ground every year. Seriously, sell your homes immediately for pennies on the dollar if need be and move someplace safer, I'm surprised that insurance of any kind is even available in those areas.The rest of us just end up paying higher premiums to make up the difference on what the insurance companies lose paying these people to rebuild and rebuild and rebuild in the exact same place so that it can happen yet again.

If you do insist on living there can't you just live in tents or at the most just build a cheap cabin so it won't cost so much when it inevitably burns down again?

Yes, it's true... people are stupid.

Joe Teamster, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 5:26 AM)

Thanks for the fire info Alan! I sure hope that the firefighters can save Wilson Observatory and the JPL facility from the fire. Sure can't count on prayers to save these scientific structures, or any structures for that matter.

Eric, Sa;inas, CA (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:15 AM)

Was supposed to visit Los Angeles Labor Day weekend and stay in the Westwood area. Want to be outdoors enjoying SoCal. Is it advisable or is the air quality so poor all over the area that we should wait for another time?

Mark B., Atlanta Ga (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 9:26 AM)

The smoke is in a steady pattern to the northeast toward Vegas; nothing in the Los Angeles basin. Westwood should be fine, barring major shift in wind direction....

P.B.inLosAngeles - Los Angeles, CA. (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 3:46 PM)

Thanks, P.B. I knew with the mountain ranges, sea breezes, etc...that you have some micro-climates in the LA area. We'll head on out to the land of excitement!

Mark B, Atlanta Ga (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 5:26 PM)

PS: Westwood is so near the Pacific, rarely would an onshore breeze not be present. It always pushes airborne pollution to the east....

P.B.inLosAngeles - Los Angeles, CA. (Sent Tuesday, September 01, 2009 6:03 PM)

Urban sprawl in a semi-arid region. Who would have thought there could be a problem? The fools have no concept of environmental planning, hence the constant stories of fires, mudslides, water shortages, etc., etc., etc. I lived(?) in LA in the fifties. No way will I go back!

I feel sorry for the firefighters who get put on the line to defend houses that should never have been put there in the first place. No doubt their kids will be back to do it all again! Add in the fools who insist they can prevail or bug out on their motorcycle - expecting someone else to risk their life (usually several lives)- and you can see a problem. Remember the two parboiled fools?

The terrain makes the protection of Mt. Wilson difficult, at best. The proliferation of antennae in a single point of failure a potential disaster that will draw firefighters into a real problem area. If they don't win this round the com system goes down!

Wade Whitlock, Aberdeen, MD (Sent Wednesday, September 02, 2009 11:05 AM)

The following is the story we did on the saving of Mt. Wilson and the gratitude from the head of the Mt. Wilson Institute.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/station/as-seen-on/Mt__Wilson_to_Endure_Los_Angeles.html

conannolan (Sent Wednesday, September 09, 2009 1:04 PM)

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