LOS ANGELES _ The Bobcat fire burning in the Angeles National Forest has torn through nearly 30,000 acres and continues to send thick, unhealthful smoke into the Los Angeles Basin.
As of Saturday morning, the fire was 6% contained, marking some progress for firefighters who have been on the lines for days. The fire has been moving north away from foothill communities, but water drops have been at times limited because of visibility issues caused by the smoke.
Altadena is one of seven communities that remain under an evacuation warning, along with Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Duarte and Pasadena.
Air quality has continued to nosedive across Southern California, with the looming smoke creating a plume up and down the West Coast stretching more than 1,000 miles, said Philip Fine, deputy executive officer of the South Coast AQMD.
Smoke advisories will remain in effect throughout the day and likely through the weekend, he added.
Fine said the unpredictability of wildfires _ including how long they will burn, how hot they will be and how much smoke they will create _ makes it difficult to forecast air quality beyond one or two days. But, he said, air quality over the weekend will likely not be great.
Poor air quality also contributed to the closure of eight parks in Los Angeles County: Eaton Canyon, Devil's Punchbowl, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, Lario Staging Area, Marshall Canyon, Peck Road Water Conservation Park, San Dimas Canyon Natural Area and Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area.
The closures, which will continue throughout the weekend, were ordered "in the best interest of park guests, community and staff," the county's Department of Parks and Recreation said.
Stephen Cooper, an Altadena resident and fitness instructor, said the smoke was so thick Friday morning that he canceled his outdoor fitness class.
"This morning I could smell smoke and then looked at the (air quality index) and that was 205 _ 'very unhealthy,'" he said. "I'm usually hammering on my clients about the importance of consistency when it comes to training and healthy eating, but when it's unhealthy like this, it makes no sense to push it."
