Williams Fire 100 Percent Contained, Forest Officials Say
The brush fire started on Sunday Sept. 2, forcing thousands of Labor Day weekend campers from the hills above Glendora.
After burning for 10 days through more than 4,000 acres, the brush fire that ripped through the San Gabriel Mountains was fully contained Wednesday morning, according to Angeles National Forest officials.
The so-called Williams Fire, named after Camp Williams, was sparked on Sept. 2 and prompted the evacuation of about 12,000 Labor Day weekend campers and picnickers in the hills above Glendora.
Full containment of the blaze was set for Thursday, but crews managed to control the fire nearly 24 hours ahead of schedule. About 4,192 acres were singed by the brush fire. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
It took hundreds of firefighters on the ground and in the air to finally corral the flames, which burned uphill into steep, rugged terrain and heavy brush that had not burned for 15 to 20 years, fire officials said.
The Williams Fire, which had grown to between 30 and 40 acres by 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 2, was initially reported at 2:30 p.m. as a 4-acre blaze. It grew to more than 700 acres by 5 p.m. and 3,600 acres by 9 p.m., according to fire officials.
The fire started in the Camp Williams Park along East Fork Road off Highway 39, which remains closed, according to forest officials. San Gabriel Canyon will also remain closed to the public, but will be open to permanent residents.
Crews will continue mopping up the area and monitor for smoke inside the fire perimeter, officials said.
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