A Year of Burning State Parks

Overall, some 21,000 acres of land burned in various state parks during 2008, with the largest fires occurring in Chino Hills State Park, Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve, and the Big Sur trio of Andrew Molera, Pfeiffer Big Sur, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns state parks. Except for Chino Hills, all these fires were started by lightning strikes.

According to Stephen Bakken, Senior State Parks Forester, since 2002 149,000 acres have burned in the state park system. That is 1/10th of the entire land holdings within the system. Disregarding the nature of the fires, and their causes, Bakken believes this level of fire is approaching the amount of fire that occurred in the state before European settlement of this continent.

Chino Hills State Park Burns

On November 15 nearly all of Chino Hills State Park (CHSP) was devastated by an intense wildfire. Park Superintendent John Rowe believes 95 percent of the park—located in Orange County—succumbed to the "Freeway Complex Fire." Of the over 13,000 acres burned, the only area that survived is Coal Canyon, a separate 650-acre tract of land to the south buffered by the 91 freeway and the 241 toll road.

Coal Canyon, a recently-acquired tract, links CHSP with the Cleveland National Forest via an underground wildlife corridor beneath the freeway. Now Coal Canyon may serve as a wildlife refuge as the rest of the park recovers.

Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve

Todd Lewis

In late June 2008, Mendocino County sustained hundreds of dry lightning strikes.  Many of these strikes formed small fires, and some of those fires grew and became wildfires. Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve experienced one of those fires, and nearly 950 of the reserve’s 1,142 acres burned. Luckily, all of the ancient redwoods survived unharmed. Moist soil and slight winds kept the wildfire low to the ground and slow moving. 

Big Sur Trio

Nikki Nedeff

Andrew Molera, Pfeiffer Big Sur, and Julia Pfeiffer Burns state parks all suffered this past June and July due to the massive Basin Complex Fire. Overall, some 240,000 acres burned, with the state parks representing a fraction of the total. Nonetheless, park managers are very concerned about what this year's winter weather might mean for runoff, erosion and impacts on the region's natural communities.

High Tech Fire Update—Henry Coe SP

George Gray

This past year Henry Coe State Park has been recovering from the horrendous Lick Fire of September, 2007.   The Pine Ridge Association and park staff have been actively documenting the recovery with some creative technology. Visit their very engaging website to learn more.

For More Information—Cal Fire

Cal Fire also maintains a website with information and resources for people interested in the issue of wildfires, planning, and home safety: http://www.fire.ca.gov

Top banner photo of the Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve courtesy of Rod March