Officials with Mount Wilson Observatory reported last night that the Eaton Fire, which reached the top of Mount Wilson, the broadcast hub for Los Angeles, on Thursday now “seems to be under control.”

Prior to the announcement last night, TV Tech sister brand Radio World spoke with Doug Irwin, iHeart’s Los Angeles engineering lead, who monitored the situation all day Thursday as the fire suddenly jumped from Altadena. Irwin said late Thursday afternoon local time that the fire has not impacted any of the stations that transmit from the summit. From observing cameras, he believes the fire made it to the edge of the service road but did not cross it as of that time.

The summit has been without power since Tuesday as part of an area-wide temporary shutoff, Irwin said. His main concern was ensuring generator fuel refills can be conducted, as the service road had been closed. However, he expected it to reopen Thursday evening.

Thursday night at 7:55 p.m., a tweet on Mt. Wilson’s X feed announced that the Eaton Fire is now “under control”:

KTLA’s live webcam captured the frightening scene Thursday afternoon as the Eaton fire spread toward one of the summit’s towers. Both KTLA on its TV feed and KNX on its radio feeds mentioned that their over-the-air signals could be affected.

Mount Wilson is home to nearly every Class B FM signal serving L.A.; 21 FM signals in all broadcast from there. The 5,700-foot peak is also home to the Mount Wilson Observatory and Park. In addition, TV stations KCBS, KNBC, KTLA, KABC, KCAL, KTTV, KCOP, KMEX, KVEA and KDOC use the site.

The summit is no stranger to fires, including the Bobcat fire in 2020.

The Eaton fire that started on Tuesday has claimed five lives and consumed 10,600 acres so far, according to Cal Fire. As of Thursday Evening it remained 0% contained but winds had lightened earlier in the day. Forecasters are worried weather conditions may support another strong Santa Ana wind event Monday night into Tuesday.

On the radio, Audacy’s KNX (AM/FM) and iHeart’s KFI (AM) have been anchoring continuous coverage since the fires started with the Palisades Fire on Monday morning.

FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel commented on the fires yesterday afternoon.

“Our hearts remain with everyone impacted by the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County and the first responders answering the call during this time of emergency,” she said. “While communications impacts are minimal so far, the FCC will continue to monitor how these sets of wildfires are affecting residents’ ability to receive the information they need to stay safe. Should conditions change, the agency stands ready to support in any way it can, including any requests to deploy FCC staff to help with any communications network recovery.”

In addition, the Broadcasters Foundation of America said on Thursday that it is offering financial assistance to those in the industry impacted by the fires.

This article initially appeared in TV Tech sister brand Radio World.

LOS ANGELES—Communication towers for TV, radio and government agencies on top of Mount Wilson have thus far been protected by firefighters from the Bobcat fire currently ravaging the Los Angeles County area.

According to multiple reports, the fire came within 500 feet of the historic Mt. Wilson Observatory and what is estimated to be $1 billion worth of transmission towers on Tuesday, but firefighter prevention methods have thus far kept flames from reaching the area.

Had the fires reached the towers, L.A. County Fire Capt. David Dantic said there was a possibility for service disruptions.

The Mt. Wilson Observatory is also a historic site for the development of astronomy, having been originally built in 1904 and at one point serving as the home of the world’s largest telescope.

While the area is protected for the moment, evacuations are taking place for residents in both nearby Arcadia and Sierra Madre.

The Bobcat fire has charred 41,773 acres as of Wednesday morning, while containment is at 3%.

For more information on the Bobcat fire, read stories from the Los Angeles Times and LA’s ABC7. 

LOS ANGELES— The sale of the Poole Tower Complex on Mt. Wilson to InSite Towers Development, LLC, has closed, according to the deal broker, Media Services Group.

Rising almost 6,000 feet above sea level, the Poole Tower Complex was first developed in the 1950’s by the late Los Angeles broadcaster John H. Poole. Poole was granted the first commercial UHF television construction permit in Los Angeles for KBIK Channel 22 in 1951. In 1953, the station moved to Mt. Wilson and changed call letters to KBIC-TV. In 1959, the complex became home to Poole-owned KBIG-FM.

Among the current Los Angeles stations at the Poole Tower Complex today are iHeartMedia’s KBIG-FM and KYSR-FM, MundoFOX 22 KWHY-TV and KXOS-93.9 FM.

Bob Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive broker representing Poole Properties, Inc.

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Los Angeles Tower Site Is Full of History
After more than 60 years, the family of broadcasting pioneer John H. Poole is selling a tower site he built from the ground up, way back in 1953, atop California’s iconic Mount Wilson.