The L.A. Now blog at the LA Times reported late Tuesday night that the Mt. Wilson web camera has gone down and officials said the fire could reach the communications hub by Wednesday. Coverage of the fire has been awash in speculation about when the historic observatory could succumb. More on that here.

And while the San Jose Mercury news is crowing about the fire crews being sent down to L.A. from the Bay Area, LA Observed is wondering why San Francisco could only spare one truck. A little cross-state bickering in the face of fiscal cutbacks?

But, by all accounts, Tuesday was a better day in the battle against the blaze. The humid weather is giving firefighters a much-needed boost in their efforts, and containment has risen from 5 percent to 22 percent.

In addition to the estimated 12,000 homes threatened, animals at the Wildlife Waystation have also been evacuated from the area. Two chimps briefly made a run at freedom, but are safe and sound at the Los Angeles Zoo, now. Of course, some humans are refusing to leave their homes and five people are now reportedly trapped.  

In the meantime, KCET offers this helpful advice about how to protect yourself against air quality that has taken a decided turn for the worse.

Stay tuned to Neon Tommy next week for a series examining the fires and your health.