The blaze threatened the observatory and communications infrastructure at the peak. Later, an observatory official said it appeared to be under control.

The Eaton Fire burning through the hillsides and mountains above Pasadena is now approaching the Mount Wilson Observatory, with potential implications for both the historic structures and emergency communications during the ongoing wildfire siege devastating Los Angeles.

An immediate evacuation has been ordered for Mount Wilson and the Observatory as the Eaton Canyon Fire advances. Mount Wilson, above Los Angeles, is home to numerous television and radio transmission towers which are utilized for stations in the greater L.

The Eaton Fire that started in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles flared up Thursday morning near Mount Wilson.

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

Mt. Wilson has been threatened by numerous fires in recent years, such as the Bobcat fire in 2020. The Observatory, where Edwin Hubble spent his career and was visited by Albert Einstein, narrowly escaped the flames.

Watch an extended clip of live footage from the Eaton Fire threatening broadcast transmission equipment atop Mt. Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains. Jan. 9, 2025.

Towers for all the major TV stations are located on the mountain, as are transmitters for many FM radio stations.