The wildfire raging in the mountains north of Los Angeles nearly doubled in size overnight and continues to threaten thousands of homes, and a major broadcasting antenna complex – including radio equipment belonging to Los Angeles Hatzolah, YWN has learned.

The fire in the Angeles National Forest had burned 134 square miles of brush and trees and was only 5 percent contained, officials said. At least 18 homes have burned and 12,000 are threatened in a 20-mile stretch from Pasadena to Acton.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged those in the fire’s path to get out as the blazes rained ash on cars as far away as downtown Los Angeles, spreading in all directions in dry conditions.

Mandatory evacuations were in effect for neighborhoods in Glendale, Pasadena and other cities and towns north of Los Angeles. Officials said air quality in parts of the foothills bordered on hazardous.

Firefighters fixed their attention on the blaze’s fast-moving eastern side where flames lapped at the foot of the vital communications and astronomy center of Mount Wilson, and on the northwestern front.

Mount Wilson is where Los Angeles Hatzolah has vital radio equipment along with transmitters for at least 22 TV stations, 25 radio stations, and cell phone providers. The LAPD reportedly has radio towers on the mountain as well. Crews planned to set backfires to slow its advance. Planes have dropped retardant around the towers.

Television stations said if the antennas burn, broadcast signals will be affected but satellite and cable transmissions will not be.

Two giant telescopes and several multimillion-dollar university programs are housed in the century-old Mount Wilson Observatory. The complex of buildings is both a historic landmark and a thriving modern center for astronomy.

Sources tell YWN that Los Angeles Hatzolah has sufficient back-up radio equipment ready to be put into use should the fire Chas Veshalom reach their equipment.

The Station fire is expected to grow to as large as 100,000 acres on Monday, as weather conditions looked unlikely to improve until at least the evening.

At a Sunday news conference at the fire command post, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised firefighters for successfully protecting subdivisions in the foothills. The governor urged residents to get out when told to evacuate.

“There were people that did not listen, and there were three people that got burned and got critically injured because they did not listen,” Schwarzenegger said.

Mandatory evacuations were also in effect for neighborhoods in Altadena and for the communities of Acton, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta and Big Tujunga Canyon.

(YWN-4705 / LA-106 / CBS2 HD)