The impact of last week’s massive Springs fire was most keenly felt in Point Mugu State Park, where California State Parks officials put the cost of damage at $300,000 after the flames charred 12,000 acres and burned through dozens of park benches, custom-tailored signs, a restroom facility and a small electrical grid.
Still, State Parks officials remained upbeat this week, hoping to have Point Mugu State Park and its main-draw campsites reopened by Memorial Day weekend.
“The smell is kind of a campfire smell already,” said Angeles District Superintendent Craig Sap. “So people can get used to it as they start coming back.”
The park and popular tourist campsites at Sycamore and La Jolla canyons were evacuated last Thursday after the Springs Fire broke out in Camarillo and quickly traveled westward through Newbury Park, the Cal State Channel Islands campus and eventually Point Mugu.
Point Mugu remains closed this week as officials sort through the extent of the Springs Fire damage and get to work on repairs.
12,000 acres burned
State Parks estimates the Springs Fire tore through 12,000 of Point Mugu’s 14,000 total acres — 86 percent of the parkland.
Much of Sycamore Canyon, home to more than 50 campsites, is blackened and tinged with a scent similar to smoldering charcoal. Yet despite 40 percent of the Sycamore vegetation being ravaged by the fire, Sap believes campers will waste little time getting back to enjoying the outdoor site.
“[Reservations] are pretty elastic after an event like this. Initially [campers will] be hesitant, but after a few weeks it’ll pick up again, especially with the summer months coming up,” Sap said.
The $300,000 in estimated repairs could rise as the investigation continues, Sap said. One “big ticket item” State Parks will struggle to replace is a four-bathroom stall near the La Jolla Canyon Trail and group campsite, worth approximately $200,000.
“I’m already understaffed and on a tight budget as it is,” Sap said. “If we can’t get it replaced right away we’ll just bring in portable toilets.”
If State Parks fails to obtain enough state money to permanently replace the bathrooms, the agency may also be eligible to apply for emergency funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“It could be up to two years before we get funding for these, so if we’re eligible for FEMA aid we’ll certainly apply,” Sap said.
Signage lost
Other casualties of the Springs Fire included hundreds of custom signs dotting the 14,000-acre park, such as trail signs listing mileage from point A to point B and “No Dogs Allowed” signs. A majority of the signs are custom-made by California inmates and purchased from the state’s Prison Industry Authority (PIA).
“We’re required to purchase the signs through that program,” Sap said. “We still haven’t figured out what we’ll do to get them all replaced quickly.”
A small electrical grid used to power bathroom lights, a staff microwave and attendant station at Sycamore Canyon was also destroyed. Sap estimated it would cost $8,000 to replace.
Broken, blackened tree limbs and toppled tree trunks also dot the damaged grounds, which will be an additional cost for State Parks to have removed.
Memorial Day re-opening
Part of the motivation in wanting to have campsites and trails reopened by Memorial Day is the loss of revenue each day the park remains closed. Sap estimates State Parks is losing $20,000 every week the Sycamore campgrounds aren’t functioning, where single campsite rentals cost around $35 per night for visitors, depending on the time of year and day of the week. The agency has also been forced to issue refunds to visitors who made reservations for the coming weeks.
For others, the Point Mugu scorcher means more than monetary damage.
Charlie Gandy, a member of the running group Santa Monica Trail Runners, visited La Jolla Canyon Monday to survey the damage. “I’m here to grieve,” the Long Beach resident said.
Gandy and about 12 others make up the trail runners, a group that routinely runs 10 to 18 miles through La Jolla and the rest of Point Mugu every Sunday.
“This is a prime place to run, this is our playground,” he said. “On one level I understand how fire can rejuvenate, but it’s still a sad thing to have happen.”
