Fire destroys more than half of Hungry Valley park; area remains closed

Lina Portman3 days ago

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A popular Ventura County ATV park will remain closed over the holiday weekend after a wildfire damaged miles of trails.

The Hungry Valley State Recreation Area was closed June 17 as the Post Fire raged through Los Angeles and Ventura counties. The blaze burned more than half of the nearly 20,000-acre park, damaging trails, fences, outbuildings, signs and cultural reserves, officials said.

California State Parks officials recently announced that the closure would remain in effect, citing dangerous conditions and urging the public to stay away.

Normally, this week is one of the busiest for the park, located in the Tejon Pass north of Los Angeles. But for now, the area is not safe, said Lori Wear, the agency's district interpretive program manager.

“We have to go in and clean some things up,” she said.

How did the Post fire start?

The Post Fire quickly spread across thousands of acres after breaking out near Gorman, off Interstate 5, on June 15. As embers and flames spread through Hungry Valley, rangers helped about 1,200 visitors and staff members get out of the park, Wear said.

Over the next few days, the fire continued to burn in hot, dry conditions, threatening Pyramid Lake, pipelines, private camps and homes. In total, the fire burned 15,000 acres and destroyed two structures, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

More than 10,000 acres burned in Hungry Valley, a footprint that includes the majority of the park’s trails, Wear said. In addition to infrastructure damage, large Joshua trees and juniper bushes were lost, and some areas were left nearly bare of vegetation, Wear said.

“The landscape in this area almost looks like a moonscape now,” she said.

When will Hungry Valley reopen?

Post is the third fire in three years in Hungry Valley, Wear said. The loss of vegetation puts the area at increased risk of erosion and debris flows. Last year, officials had to temporarily close part of the park and rebuild a road after heavy rains from Tropical Storm Hilary.

“We want to make sure that erosion doesn't destroy the road again,” she said.

It's too early to say when the park will reopen, she said.

This week, park staff continued to assess the damage and make repairs, which could include reseeding and other efforts to prevent erosion. Additional staff has been assigned to help with the rebuilding, and volunteer days are planned in the future, Wear said.

During the shutdown, she suggested Onyx Ranch State Vehicle Recreation Area as an alternative. In eastern Kern County, Onyx is the second-largest off-highway vehicle park in the state system, she said. More information is available at ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28617.

For more information on Hungry Valley's recovery efforts, visit ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=31653.

Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Contact her at [email protected] or 805-437-0260.

How did the Post fire start?

When will Hungry Valley reopen?

Lina Portman

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