San Gabriel Complex fire 62% contained, drones causing disruptions

Fire crews have the San Gabriel Complex fire 62 percent contained, with containment lines in place to prevent the spread of flames toward populated areas, according to an update from the Monrovia Fire Department Sunday.

Though the fight is winding down, multiple drone sightings caused firefighters to temporarily halted air operations on Saturday, according to the incident’s website. A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the San Gabriel Complex fires.

Individuals who ignore the restrictions could face criminal charges.

Officials from the Angeles National Forest took to Twitter to remind people to keep their drones away from the fires: “If you fly, we can’t,” they wrote.

More than 900 firefighters were still battling flames in the mountains north of Duarte and Azusa on Sunday, but officials have said they expect to “de-escalate” in the coming days. The San Gabriel Complex’s two fires have bued a combined 5,285 acres.

As the containment gets closer to 100 percent, firefighters will use GPS to tag equipment left in the field for pick-up, according to a statement from the unified command.

Highway 39 remains closed at old San Gabriel Road due to the ongoing fire activity and possible hazards on the road.

The first of the two fires, the Reservoir fire, began shortly after 11 a.m. June 20 near the Morris Reservoir dam north of Azusa. The second, the Fish fire, started about 90 minutes later north of Duarte, roughly 4 miles away.

Despite getting upgraded to the San Gabriel Complex fire, the two separate blazes never physically merged.