The Robert Ferguson Observatory near St. Helena has been spared from the Glass Fire, so far.
We visited the foothill facility as volunteers worked to rescue some very expensive telescopes. They told KCBS Radio the fire's destructive spread came a little too close to the Robert Ferguson observatory.
In almost every direction, blackened hillsides just a stone’s throw from the facility.
The Robert Ferguson Observatory near St. Helena sits untouched with blackened hills just feet away.Matt Bigler/KCBS Radio
On Thursday, amid smoke-filled skies a team of volunteers from the observatory mounted a rescue operation to save three telescopes worth close to $1 million.
"Forty inches, the state’s largest publicly-available (telescope)," Executive Director Chris Cable said. "A 20-inch research grade (telescope) that was donated to us by the University of San Francisco and our eight-inch telescope."
Cable said the telescope transport mission was a success.
The heavy telescope mirrors were carefully disassembled, removed and taken down the mountain. I even put my microphone down to lend a hand, holding a heavy mirror while it was detached.
A team of volunteers disassemble, detach and remove telescopes worth almost $1 million from the observatory.Matt Bigler/KCBS Radio
All this took place as fire crews continued to clear brush and put out spot fires in nearby Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.
"We’ve got firefighters from as far south as LA working here in the park and they’ve stabilized the fire, built fire lines all around the park," said Park Manager John Roney.
What about the telescopes?
"Well, they’re going to be stored in my garage until it’s safe to assemble another team to reinstall them," Cable added. "That could be a week, that could be in two weeks. It’s really hard to tell."
The observatory may resume outdoor "star parties" later this month if the fire is under control and the smoke isn't blocking the night sky.
