The Ranch 2 Fire has grown to 4,237 acres with 33% containment since starting on Aug. 13, according to CAL FIRE and the Forest Service on social media.
Progress continues to be made, according to officials on social media.
|Update| #Ranch2Fire morning update for Thursday, August 20. pic.twitter.com/O07gOUxsIA
— Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF)
August 20, 2020 Additionally, a 36-year-old man was charged today with starting the Ranch 2 Fire that grew to burn thousands of acres and caused evacuations in Azusa last week, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.
According to the LA District Attorney's Office, Osmin Palencia faces one felony count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of a structure or forest.
Palencia, who lives in a tent near the Mountain Cove community, allegedly started the fire on August 13 during an argument, prosecutors said. Bail is scheduled at $435,000. If convicted as charged, Palencia faces a possible maximum sentence of 23 years in state prison.
The case remains under investigation by the Azusa Police and Los Angeles County Fire departments.
#Ranch2Fire update for Tuesday, August 18. pic.twitter.com/JPoQzWPTQ2
— Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF)
August 18, 2020 Within hours the 'Ranch 2 Fire' has gone from burning hundreds of acres to blazing across thousands of acres. The fire is located at San Gabriel Canyon Rd and North Ranch Rd.
Evacuation orders for the Mountain Cove community have been lifted.
Our KNX reporter says authorities in Azusa say they don't have enough resources to get a handle on the fire.
You don’t hear this very often. Authorities say they don’t yet have enough resources to get a handle on the #Ranch2Fire above #Azusa. @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/UFyAVaKHmq
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird)
August 14, 2020 |Update| The #Ranch2Fire is 3,000 acres with 0% containment. Evacuations for the Mountain Cove community are in effect. State Hwy 39 above Azusa is closed. Please visit the Ranch2 Fire Inciweb page for more updates: https://t.co/nRqiKnw7tt pic.twitter.com/erJUOLUEzk
— Angeles_NF (@Angeles_NF)
August 14, 2020 Azusa Police Department tweeted later last Thursday "Mt Cove area north and west of Turning Leaf and Boulder Ridge now also mandatory evaluation."
"Evacuation Update 330pm- all Mt Cove Residents south of Highwood Court are under MANDATORY evacuation at this time... Residents north of Highwood CT are under voluntary evacuation," the Azusa Police Department tweeted on Thursday.
Mandatory evacuations were underway like the Mountain Cove community south of Highwood Court, according to Azusa Police Department. Residents north of Highwood Court are under voluntary evacuations, the Azusa Police said.
Evacuation Update 345pm- Mt Cove area north and west of Turning Leaf and Boulder Ridge now also mandatory evaluation
— Azusa Police (@AzusaPD)
August 13, 2020 EMERGENCY ALERT :All Mt. Cove Residents are being asked to evacuate the neighborhood immediately! There is a brush fire which was reported at 2:45PM that is now actively threatening the Mt Cove Community...There will be no incoming traffic allowed.#azusa #CityofAzusa pic.twitter.com/8UNn4JsAKO
— Azusa Police (@AzusaPD)
August 13, 2020 The wildfire is burning in the San Gabriel Canyon area and it's moving uphill in steep terrain moving away from some houses.
There is thick black smoke in the area.
According to the LA County Department of Fire on Twitter Thursday afternoon "Units on-scene reporting 1-2 acres in medium to heavy brush moving uphill. We are assisting
