Station Fire (2009)

This article is about the 2009 wildfire in California. For 2003 Rhode Island nightclub fire, see The Station nightclub fire.
Station Fire
Pyrocumulus cloud from the Station Fire, seen from North Hollywood
Date(s)
  • August 26, 2009 (2009-08-26) –
  • October 16, 2009 (2009-10-16)
LocationAngeles National Forest, Flintridge, California
Coordinates34°15′04″N 118°11′42″W / 34.251°N 118.195°W / 34.251; -118.195
Statistics[1][2]
Burned area160,577 acres (64,983 ha; 251 sq mi; 650 km2)
Impacts
Deaths2 firefighters
Structures destroyed
  • 89 residences
  • 120 other structures
Damage
  • $94.7 million
  • (equivalent to about $130.7 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseThird-degree arson
Map
Station Fire (2009) is located in southern California
Station Fire (2009)

The Station Fire was the largest wildfire of the 2009 California wildfire season, as well as the largest wildfire in the history of Los Angeles County. It burned in the Angeles National Forest, igniting on August 26, 2009, near the U.S. Forest Service Angeles Station 11 ranger station on the Angeles Crest Highway,[3][4] and burned through October 16. It threatened 12,000 structures in the National Forest and the nearby communities of La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, Glendale, Acton, La Crescenta, Juniper Hills, Littlerock and Altadena, as well as the Sunland and Tujunga neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles.[5] Many of these areas faced mandatory evacuations as the flames drew near, but as of September 6, all evacuation orders were lifted.[6] The Station Fire burned on the slopes of Mount Wilson, threatening numerous television, radio and cellular telephone antennas on the summit, as well as the Mount Wilson Observatory, which includes several historically significant telescopes and multimillion-dollar astronomical facilities operated by UCLA, USC, UC Berkeley and Georgia State University.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Station Fire". CAL FIRE. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  2. ^ "InciWeb: Station Fire". InciWeb. Archived from the original on 4 September 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  3. ^ "New fire breaks out near Angeles Crest Highway; forces road closure. Vetter mountain fire lookout tower was also lost in this fire". Pasadena Star-News. August 26, 2009. Archived from the original on September 8, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  4. ^ "Station Fire". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). September 4, 2009. Archived from the original on September 4, 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
  5. ^ "Station Fire Evening Update Aug. 31, 2009". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). August 31, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  6. ^ "Station Fire Morning Update Sept. 8, 2009". InciWeb (United States Forest Service). September 8, 2009. Archived from the original on September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 8, 2009.
  7. ^ Knoll, Corinna; Becerra, Hector (August 31, 2009). "TV, cellphone signals from Mt. Wilson at risk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  8. ^ Madrigal, Alexis (September 4, 2009). "Mt. Wilson Observatory Saved From Fire, Others Not So Lucky". wired.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.