Full Notification

After conducting extensive in-field reviews with our Monrovia Fire Department personnel this morning, and after interfacing with representatives from the US Forest Service and LA County Fire, we can report that there is no immediate direct fire threat to Monrovia, and we remain cautiously optimistic that the San Gabriel Complex Fire will not impact the City.

As we move forward through today, fire crews will be focused on building out the containment lines needed to box in the western flank of the fire, which is the area of the conflagration that poses the greatest threat to Monrovia. Given the current weather conditions, and given that we will have significant air resources directed towards fighting the fire throughout the day, fire officials are hopeful that the entire western flank of the fire will be boxed in and contained by the evening tonight. In addition, based on discussions with LA County and US Forest Service fire officials, we have been notified that those agencies will be making increased local patrols in Monrovia today. This means that you may see LA County Fire and US Forest Service vehicles throughout town as the day unfolds.

The containment line that will continue to be built today includes the construction of fire breaks utilizing bulldozers and the continued use of fire retardant dropped from helicopters and air ships. As this work continues, we have been notified that there may be an increase in smoke and smoke-related odor throughout Monrovia, however, that increase in smoke and smoke-related odor does not equate to an increase in threat level. Instead, the increase in smoke and smoke-related odor would signify advancement of the fire containment efforts being made by firefighting crews.

We will continue monitoring the situation closely throughout the day, and if significant progress is made in building the containment line on the western flank of the fire, it is possible that we can further lower the fire threat level here in Monrovia. However, it is important to reemphasize that while we are cautiously optimistic that Monrovia will not be impacted by the fire, we continue to urge those residents living in the northeastern section of the City to remain ready to evacuate in the event that fire conditions change.

Should City officials determine at any point in time that the fire could impact residents or property in Monrovia, we will order precautionary mandatory evacuation for all impacted residents. Based on the current fire movement pattern, if the precautionary mandatory evacuations are ordered, it is estimated that the soonest that such an order would be issued is later in the day on Thursday, June 23, 2016.

To that end, all residents living in the northeastern part of Monrovia are encouraged to remain vigilant and ready to evacuate. Should an evacuation order be given, we will be coordinating evacuation procedures as follows:

First Evacuation Phase – all residents living east of Norumbega (where it parallels Sawpit Wash) and north of Greystone Avenue

Second Evacuation Phase – all residents living east of Myrtle Avenue and north of Greystone Avenue, and east of Shamrock and north of Foothill

Here at the City, we have continued to keep additional Monrovia Fire Department personnel in town, and we have continued deployment of our operational plan that allows for all normal service delivery to occur while also setting up special fire support functions. In addition, the City has continued to maintain the closure of Canyon Park, Trask Boy Scout Camp, and the Hillside Wilderness Preserve, and we have ensured that all City reservoirs are filled at 100% capacity in the event that we need to access water for firefighting activities.

In addition, we have developed several informational pieces that are available for download on the City’s, which include a map depicting when the City would order an precautionary mandatory evacuation, an evacuation location and phasing map, an evacuation information and resource guide, and a FAQ sheet regarding evacuation procedures.

Again, it is important to emphasize that based on the current fire movement patterns, we do not anticipate any precautionary mandatory evacuations being ordered today. We will continue to assess the situation throughout the day, and if the situation changes, additional City personnel will be deployed to handle the situation.

All residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and on alert. To stay up to date on the status of the overall situation here in Monrovia, we encourage everyone to check the City's website (www.cityofmonrovia.org). We will continue to post updates as the local fire conditions change.