The approaching Eaton wildfire has forced the closure of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, NASA's lead center for robotic planetary exploration.

Don Fregulia, an operations section chief for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which has joined in the Eaton fire response, said that efforts to protect Mt. Wilson had proved successful and he expected that to remain the case.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) will be closed through at least Jan. 13 due to the Eaton Fire, one of five uncontrolled wildfires blazing in Los Angeles County, California. JPL is within the mandatory evacuation zone for the Eaton Fire, north of Pasadena.