Body on Mt. Wilson was found in fire burn area, officials say
Officials have not yet identified a charred male body that was found in the Mt. Wilson area, where firefighters are continuing to gain control on a 50-acre fire, authorities said Friday.
The body was found Wednesday afternoon in the burned area south of a Mt. Wilson Observatory parking lot, and the coroner’s office has not determined a cause of death or identified the person who died, said Ed Winter, a spokesman for the coroner’s office.
The fire, which ignited Tuesday in the San Gabriel Mountains and has put the historic mountaintop observatory as well as more than two dozen telecommunications towers at risk, was 65% contained as of Friday morning, said Angeles National Forest spokesman Nathan Judy.
Firefighters are focusing on increasing containment and quelling hot spots within the fire area before forecasted Santa Ana winds and high temperatures hit this weekend and early next week, Judy said.
Rocky terrain and steep drop-offs on the east side of the fire make access difficult for firefighters, he said.
The Mt. Wilson Observatory will remain closed through the weekend, as will recreational areas on the mountain and the road and hiking trails leading to it, Judy said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he said.
Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.
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