An enormous wildfire that churned through mountains northeast of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert was still threatening homes on Monday, but officials said calmer winds could help crews corral the flames.
At 165 square miles (427 square kilometers), the Bobcat Fire is one of the largest ever in Los Angeles County and it has burned for more than two weeks. It's just 15% contained.
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An enormous wildfire that churned through mountains northeast of Los Angeles and into the Mojave Desert was still threatening homes on Monday, but officials said calmer winds could help crews corral the flames.
Erratic winds that drove flames into the community of Juniper Hills over the weekend had died down, said U.S. Forest Service fire spokesman Larry Smith.
Firefighters fought back against another flareup near Mount Wilson, which overlooks greater Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains and has a historic observatory founded more than a century ago and numerous broadcast antennas serving Southern California.
Nearly 19,000 firefighters in California are fighting more than two dozen major wildfires. At least 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 6,000 square miles (15,500 square kilometers) in the state this year, including many since a mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation.
In Wyoming, a rapidly growing wildfire in the southeastern part of the state on Sunday closed in on a reservoir that’s a major source of water for the state's capital city, Cheyenne.
Jesse Vasquez, of the San Bernardino County Fire Department, hoses down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A San Bernardino County Fire Department member keeps an eye on a flareup from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Members of the San Bernardino County Fire Department hose down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A San Bernardino County Fire Department member hoses down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
People watch the Bobcat Fire from a ridge Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Palmdale, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A tanker flies away after making a fire retardant drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A DC-10 Air tanker makes fire retardant drop during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home as a tanker makes a drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home as a tanker makes a drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A sign rereads Thank you Everyone!!! Juniper Hills during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A wooden cross is all that stands after the Bobcat fire burned through Juniper Hills, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burned landscape is seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
People stop to take pictures along the road during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A home sits undamaged along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A home sits undamaged along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Property for sale sign still stands over burned out land along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burnt garage on the property of Frank Kenton along with other buildings are seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A burnt out boat on the property of Frank Kenton along with buildings are seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burned items that Frank Kenton lost during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Eight year-old CJ Kenton buries a rabbit that had died in the fire in front of burned out structures of his grandfather Frank Kenton during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Evacuation orders and warnings are in place for thousands of residents in foothill and desert communities, where semi-rural homes and a popular nature sanctuary have burned. No injuries have been reported.
The Bobcat Fire burns in the distance beyond a Joshua tree Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Juniper Hills, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Erratic winds that drove flames into the community of Juniper Hills over the weekend had died down, said U.S. Forest Service fire spokesman Larry Smith.
“It's slightly cooler too, so hopefully that will be a help to firefighters,” Smith said.
Officials said it could be days before teams determine the scope of the destruction in the area about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
A Joshua tree is silhouetted in front of the Bobcat Fire at sunset Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Juniper Hills, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Firefighters fought back against another flareup near Mount Wilson, which overlooks greater Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Mountains and has a historic observatory founded more than a century ago and numerous broadcast antennas serving Southern California.
The Bobcat Fire started Sept. 6 and has doubled in size over the last week. The cause is under investigation.
The wildfire also destroyed the nature center at Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area, a geological wonder that attracts some 130,000 visitors per year. A wildlife sanctuary on the property was undamaged, and staff and animals had been evacuated days earlier.
Joshua trees are left burned Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, after the Bobcat Fire passed through in Juniper Hills, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Nearly 19,000 firefighters in California are fighting more than two dozen major wildfires. At least 7,900 wildfires have burned more than 6,000 square miles (15,500 square kilometers) in the state this year, including many since a mid-August barrage of dry lightning ignited parched vegetation.
Officials were investigating the death of a firefighter at another Southern California wildfire that erupted earlier this month from a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device used by a couple to reveal their baby’s gender.
The death occurred Sept. 17 in San Bernardino National Forest as crews battled the El Dorado Fire about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles, the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement. That blaze is 59% contained.
A homeowner, wishing not to be identified, stands in front of his fire-ravaged home Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, after the Bobcat Fired passed through in Juniper Hills, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
In Wyoming, a rapidly growing wildfire in the southeastern part of the state on Sunday closed in on a reservoir that’s a major source of water for the state's capital city, Cheyenne.
The water system remained safe and able to filter out ash and other burned material that flows through streams and reservoirs after wildfires, said Clint Bassett, water treatment manager for the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities.
Members of the San Bernardino County Fire Department keep an eye on a flareup from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Jesse Vasquez, of the San Bernardino County Fire Department, hoses down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A San Bernardino County Fire Department member keeps an eye on a flareup from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
Members of the San Bernardino County Fire Department hose down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A San Bernardino County Fire Department member hoses down hot spots from the Bobcat Fire on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Valyermo, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
People watch the Bobcat Fire from a ridge Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Palmdale, Calif. (AP PhotoMarcio Jose Sanchez)
A tanker flies away after making a fire retardant drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A DC-10 Air tanker makes fire retardant drop during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home as a tanker makes a drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home as a tanker makes a drop high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A sign rereads Thank you Everyone!!! Juniper Hills during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A wooden cross is all that stands after the Bobcat fire burned through Juniper Hills, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burned landscape is seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
People stop to take pictures along the road during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A home sits undamaged along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to protect a home high on a hill during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A home sits undamaged along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Property for sale sign still stands over burned out land along Cima Mesa Road after the Bobcat Fire sweep through, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burnt garage on the property of Frank Kenton along with other buildings are seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
A burnt out boat on the property of Frank Kenton along with buildings are seen during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Burned items that Frank Kenton lost during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Eight year-old CJ Kenton buries a rabbit that had died in the fire in front of burned out structures of his grandfather Frank Kenton during the Bobcat Fire, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Juniper Hills, Calif. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)
Frank Kenton with his dog Clyde looks over the remains of buildings that burnt during the Bobcat Fire last night in Juniper Hills, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020. Kenton has lived on his 10 acres for 17 years. (Keith BirminghamThe Orange County Register via AP)