The renowned Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA has endured the wildfire thus far.
The fierce Eaton fire has wreaked havoc in Altadena and other communities at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, located just north of Los Angeles. Nevertheless, firefighters have succeeded in keeping the inferno at bay from JPL, NASA’s primary hub for planetary exploration, which is positioned just to the west.
“UPDATE: @NASAJPL remains unaffected by the flames thanks to the courageous efforts of our first responders. However, our community has faced serious challenges, with over 150 JPL employees who have lost their residences and many others displaced,” stated JPL Director Laurie Leshin via X today (January 10).
Leshin’s post on X contained a link to a fundraising site for disaster relief aimed at assisting those within the JPL community, as well as individuals associated with the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, which oversees the NASA center.
“There has been significant damage to our community. 1,000 residents are still evacuated. More than 150 have completely lost their homes, with many others facing long-term displacement,” she added in another post today.
Related: Details and insights about NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JPL — which oversees NASA’s Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rover missions, among numerous other endeavors — has been closed since Wednesday (January 8), the day after the Eaton fire ignited.
The facility will remain closed for another week; all except essential staff are required to work remotely until at least January 17, according to an update today on the JPL emergency-information webpage.
As of this afternoon, the Eaton fire had scorched approximately 14,000 acres (5,666 hectares) and was only 3% contained, according to The New York Times, as reported by L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
Moreover, it’s just one of multiple fires raging through the L.A. region. The Palisades Fire, located on the city’s western side, is the largest and most devastating of all; it has consumed over 20,000 acres (8,094 hectares) and remains roughly 8% contained, according to NBC News.