Owners of a summer camp in the Santa Ynez Valley where a number of kids and staff members were trapped by last month’s massive Whittier brush fire say they will rebuild the damaged facility.
Two lodge buildings were destroyed, and the water system was heavily damaged as the blaze moved through the Circle V Ranch Camp. St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles had to cancel the remaining camps planned for this summer. All events through next May are being rescheduled.
Firefighters and law enforcement officers helped those trapped by the 18,000 acre blaze shelter in place at the camp. The fire was burning on both sides of the small two-lane road connecting the camp with Highway 154, making it unsafe to try to evacuate the facility.
A month later, the fire stands at 87% containment, with more than 70 firefighters still doing mopup work.
