LOS ANGELES, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A fast growing wildfire in the Angeles National Forest has doubled its size in 24 hours and forced the authority to issue a warning for nearby cities with over 50,000 residents to prepare for evacuation.
The blaze, dubbed Bobcat Fire, scorched 8,553 acres (34.7 square km) with no containment as of Tuesday morning, according to InciWeb, an interstate incident information system. The fire that started Sunday afternoon would not be fully contained until Oct. 15, authorities said.
Fire officials put three cities' residents living in the foothills on notice that they may be ordered to evacuate if the fire spreads south.
Residents from Bradbury, Monrovia and Duarte confirmed to Xinhua that they received a warning from the authority on Monday night, which urged them to have evacuation plans in place, organize their emergency evacuation supplies, and have essential evacuation personal belongings easily accessible.
"The Bobcat Fire is burning in Angeles National Forest near Bradbury, Duarte, and Monrovia. An Evacuation Warning is in effect for parts of these cities. GET SET for potential evacuation orders. Make ready your preparations; gather loved ones and supplies," the warning sent to residents' cellphones read.
Bradbury is a small city with about one thousand residents, while the other two cities have dozens of thousands of residents, with a high percentage being Chinese Americans. Enditem
