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*Please see the previous post for current information about the fire and additional evacuations.*

It is, of course, raining ash.

I just took a walk to town to check things out, and with the exception of the smoky air and helicopters cycling overhead, it’s surprisingly calm.

I ran into Council Member Joe Mosca and chatted with him for a bit. He said that he was impressed with the coordination of the emergency efforts. Local, county and state agencies are all working hard to contain the fire, he said.

Mosca said help has come from all over, from Pomona to Temple City and more.

One disappointment, however, is that expected federal assistance will not be arriving. Mosca explained that the fire is partly in the Angeles National Forest, and the city was hoping that two water tankers from the National Park Service would arrive this morning. If the situation becomes more serious, he said that the federal tankers could still come.

I walked to the Hart Senior Center in Memorial Park, where the San Gabriel Pomona Valley chapter of the Red Cross has set up its emergency shelter. A few children were playing outside of the shelter. I met a Los Angeles Times reporter whose parents had been evacuated the night before. She said that they are fine and staying with a relative in Pasadena.

Public Information Officer Linda Mayer said that about 50 people signed in last night. Of those, about 40 stayed, some of them in cars if they had pets, which are not allowed inside the shelter. Now the Pasadena Humane Society is on site and is providing temporary shelter for evacuated pets.

Mayer said the shelter is well-stocked, especially since local restaurants have helped out with donations. Denny’s donated a generous breakfast, she said.

Mayer is expecting more people to sign in since more evacuations are expected today. She said that evacuees are nervous, wondering when they can go home.

*Please see the previous post for current information about the fire and additional evacuations.* Also, please note that The Foothill Cities Blog is posting about the fire and has links to some interesting sites and photos. I was impressed by photos by yausser on Flickr.