Forest Service reopens areas burned in
Zaca Fire;
Trail damage extensive; Public urged
to use extreme caution
Los Padres National Forest officials today have announced
that the area burned by the Zaca Fire, closed to
public entry since the fire began last July, will be reopened at noon on April
4. The trail system has sustained
extensive damage, and the public is urged to use extreme caution when traveling
in the affected area, said Forest Supervisor Peggy Hernandez.
“A great deal of dry ravel (erosion) occurred immediately
after the fire, and the winter rains and heavy snowfall caused additional
damage,” Hernandez said.
“Particularly hard hit are vulnerable mid-slope trails,
like segments of the popular Santa Cruz trail, and the Grapevine and Potrero trails in the San Rafael Wilderness.
Another key area that sustained significant damage is the
Manzana Narrows.
Many sections of the trail system have been completely
obliterated,” she said.
Forest Service backcountry manager Kerry Kellogg
estimates that 167 miles of backcountry trail were impacted by the Zaca Fire.
Kellogg said other safety hazards include deep gullies,
landslides and rockslides on trails; burned trees and tree limbs that can fall
without warning; burned stump holes; and damaged or missing trail signs.
He warned that the land, particularly the steep terrain,
will be changing constantly and will be unstable for many years until
vegetation becomes reestablished.
“Even the most experienced hikers will need to stay alert
to their surroundings and not take unnecessary risks,” Kellogg said.
Forest Service officials also warned that most of the
burned area will not be safe for equestrians until the trails are
repaired.
“Hikers may be able to pick their way across some damaged
areas, but stock would have a very difficult time,” said Kathleen Phelps,
District Ranger for the Santa Lucia District, which encompasses most of the San
Rafael Wilderness.
Of particular concern are sideslope
trails where horses may not be able to turn around safely if they encounter a
landslide or gully.
A small group of dedicated volunteers who work regularly
with the Forest Service have been surveying the burned area to document trail
conditions. While they have explored a
large area, there are still some regions of the backcountry in the Dick Smith
and San Rafael Wildernesses that no one has seen since the fire.
“We are still collecting information on trail conditions,
and the trails we know about have changed over the past few months,” said Santa
Barbara District Ranger Cindy Chojnacky.
She said it will take years to repair the trail system.
Ironically, some ridge and canyon trails in the burn
area, previously impassable due to brush, may be open for the first time in
years, Chojnacky said.
“For instance, the Hurricane Deck trail is now visible,
although it is hard to follow in mid-slope areas. The trails in Indian and Mono Creeks are not
in great shape, but the canyons have silted in and the creek banks are fairly
easy to hike.”
“For experienced hikers who want to explore, “probably
the best advice is, check with the district on specific areas and don’t count
on making a loop trip.”
Some of the burned area will still be subject to
temporary closures during rainy periods. Some gates will remain closed to
protect fuelbreaks, fire containment lines and open
areas from vehicle trespass until vegetation is reestablished.
For more information about conditions in the Zaca Fire area, contact the Santa Barbara Ranger District
Office on Paradise Road at (805) 967-3481, and the Santa Lucia District Office
in Santa Maria at (805) 925-9538
At the height of the Zaca Fire
in August 2007, the closure encompassed over 660,000 acres between Highway 166
on the north and Highway 33 on the south.
Nearly 330,000 acres have been
closed to the public since October, including most of the San Rafael Wilderness
and all of the Dick Smith Wilderness.