For more fire information and resources, see our California Fire Information page
If you have information on any outdoor schools or other EE/OE programs affected by the fires, please email us so we can share the information with our members who may be concerned: aeoeweb@yahoo.com
Click a county to find out about Outdoor Schools in that area:
Orange County | San Diego County | San Bernardino/Riverside Counties | LA County
Camp Hess Kramer (where the southern Spring Conferences have been held for the past several years, and where the 2008 spring conference is schedule) has so far in 2007 (as of 11/24/07) escaped the Malibu fires of October and November. It is quite a way west along the coast of the two main fires, and was not in the evacuation areas for either fire event.
Inside the Outdoors has a fire update page on their website - CLICK HERE for their latest updates
According to their fire update web page: "As of Thursday afternoon [10/25/07] all of the Outdoor Science School sites were saved from the Running Springs Fires."
Regarding their Santiago Canyon offices for Inside the Outdoors:
"All staff and animals were safely evacuated." The area surrounding their Rancho Sonado offices burned, but the buildings were saved. Click Here for photos
San Diego County Outdoor Schools Update, 11/6/07
Steve Morris, Fox Outdoor Educator and AEOE Outings and Adventures Coordinator, reports:
Fox is still closed however we plan on reopening next week. We have all been working at Cuyamaca which was not affected at all by the fires. Palomar might be closed for a while (at least until December) however all 3 outdoor schools survived any structural damage! The Palomar State Park is closed and there is a NO FIRES order throughout the entire San Diego Backcountry. Other than that, no one on either staff has reported losing property and we will be ready when all the sites reopen.
NOTE: San Diego County Office of Education has a fire update page on their website, but no mention has been made of outdoor schools. However, staff and students from the schools at nearby Santa Ysabel are returning Monday, 10/29/07, so Fox is probably fine, and since Cuyamaca's surrounding area was already burned in 2003, it is probably safe also.
Palomar Mountain was threatened by the Poomacha Fire - an update site for the community is here and the Palomar Mountain Outdoor School site is here but there are no current updates on either. Here is an article about Palomar State Park and Fire from SignOnSanDiego.com, and another article about fighting the fire in the Palomar area. Another article A Glimpse of Palomar Mountain, and a Peek at Mortality from the UC San Diego Guardian is being updated regularly. New - an excellent and regularly updated webpage about Palomar Mountain and the Poomacha fire by Scott Kardel of CalTech. And another excellent site from a woman, Sabrina Covington, who lost her home in this fire: http://www.mypalomar.com/Fire2007.html
October 30 , 2007
Tara Murgatroyd, OE Director of YMCA Camp Marston, reports on October 30:
"We were lucky here in Julian this time – the fires got within 2-3 miles of camp but we are hugely grateful to all of the great fire crews who were really out there getting control of the backside of the Witch fire. We had some wind damage from the Santa Anas that drove the fire but we are all out on the property getting things ready to host a weekend group on Friday and schools next week. I hope others have fared as well."
October 26, 2007
YMCA Camp Surf has been fine all along, We cancelled groups and were able to host some evacuated families. It was great to be here for them.
YMCA Camp Marston is still evacuated but we are optimistic. We are pretty sure everyone is OK. We have one staff member that we know of that lost her home. Tara [Murgatroyd - Marston's Outdoor Education Director and AEOE Southern Chair] is here at Surf now with her staff waiting for the all clear to go back up. Lots of schools cancelled and disappointed kids.....
Zayanne G. Thompson
Program Department Head
YMCA Camp Surf
[and AEOE Chief Financial Officer (CFO)]
October 24, 2007:
YMCA Camp Marston/Raintree Ranch - Wildfire Update from their website
"YMCA Camp Marston is under mandatory evacuation and all staff is safely in Borrego Springs or with family and friends. If you have to reach a YMCA Camp Marston Staff member please contact YMCA Camp Surf at 619-423-5850 to leave a message and for further updates. YMCA Camp Surf is currently designated as the contact point for all camp operations for the branch and will continue to post updates on our website as we know more."
October 23, 2007:
News from Fox
Steve Morris, Fox Outdoor Educator and AEOE Outings and Adventures Coordinator, reports:
It appears all hell has broken loose! All three SDCOE sites (Cuyamaca, Palomar, Fox) were closed on Sunday before the week even began, with the latter two in severe danger with a possibility of total destruction (the Poomacha fire started this morning, we are at the mercy of the winds). Thankfully no one is there and as far as I know everyone is safe. I know Julian has been ordered to evacuate today so probably Marsten is cleaned out but safe for now. {see their website for updates}
As for me, with my house in Carlsbad 10 miles from the blaze and no camp in the foreseeable future, instead of waiting for something to get better I am off to Mexico to breathe fresh air and be free from all the chaos (Mexico and fresh air used in the same sentence?). I will be back this weekend hopefully to find my home and camp untouched. However I am prepared to find them both destroyed.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.
Steve Morris
Southern AEOE Outings and Adventures Coordinator
Outdoor Education Program Specialist
Denver C. "Fox" Outdoor School
NOTE: San Diego County Office of Education has a fire update page on their website, but no mention has been made of outdoor schools. However, staff and students from the schools at nearby Santa Ysabel are returning Monday, 10/29/07, so Fox is probably fine, and since Cuyamaca's surrounding area was already burned in 2003, and it was not in danger from the current fires, it is probably safe also.
Palomar Mountain was threatened by the Poomacha Fire. An update site for the community is here and the Palomar Mountain Outdoor School site is here but there are no current updates on either. Here is an article about Palomar State Park and Fire from SignOnSanDiego.com, and another article about fighting the fire in the Palomar area. Another article A Glimpse of Palomar Mountain, and a Peek at Mortality from the UC San Diego Guardian is being updated regularly. If anyone has updated info about the outdoor school site on Palomar, please send it in!
October 27, 2007
Pali Mountain has a fire update page on their website - click here for information
According to their website:
"Pali Mountain was spared any major damage this week from the wildfires (Slide Fire) that have swept across Southern California. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have called and have sent their well-wishes. It is greatly appreciated.
The fire was contained mainly to the backside of the camp thanks to the bravery of the local (and not so local) firemen and women. While the vast majority of the camp was spared, we did lose 3 cabins, the amphitheater and the riflery range. Many of our Pali family members were not as fortunate, losing their homes in the fire.
We hope to be on-site later this week to begin the clean-up process. We've already scheduled and been granted the appropriate paperwork to erect temporary buildings and for the demolition to proceed on the affected parts of camp. 95% of the camp is in great shape and ready for our guests. We will re-open the weekend of November 9-11, 2007.
Again, we truly appreciate being in your thoughts and prayers."
Pali has a video slide show of the fire up on YouTube! Click here to watch it
Arrowhead Ranch KNX 1070 AM reported today [10/27/07] at 4:18 p.m. that Kathy Farley, her husband, and two kids, opened up Arrowhead Ranch to the Firefighters. They served over 1,000 meals this week and made 600 beds available (on a rotation basis - not sure if they actually have 600 beds - but that's how many people got to use them... )
HUGE kudos to Kathy and Arrowhead!
Update: Arrowhead Ranch now has a 2007 Fire Info page: http://www.arrowheadkidscamp.com/2007fireupdate.html
Here is her story from that page:
THE GRASS VALLEY FIRE OCTOBER 22, 2007
As everyone one has heard about the wildfires spreading across California; several guests, families, teachers and school districts have voiced their concerns about mountain safety. I feel that it is very important that you know from the perspective of an owner, a resident, and a mom how the events of that morning transpired.No one could have predicted the way the winds would shift or the speed to be expected from the gusts. At approximately 4:00am on Monday October 22, 2007 a power line was downed. It had been stripped from its moorings by the powerful winds the night before. Unfortunately the result was a major fire on the west side of Lake Arrowhead called the "Grass Fire."
The fire began on the other side of Lake Arrowhead in a little community called Deer Lodge Park. The area is spread out with homes, ranches and is a popular destination for dirt biking trail riders. The landscape is partial desert with sand and brush accompanied by some of the Cedar trees and Pines you see everywhere on the mountain. The active power line swung in the wind and the line began to spark as it was a live wire. The sparks began to fly in the wind traveling toward the pine area where leaves and needles had collected, resulting in the first all out fire of our season. The fire began to roar up the hillside where the trees are plentiful and the forested area was prime kindling. Beyond the trees stood homes that had a view of the upper and lower desert.
Due to the vast amount of resources focused on the Malibu Fire, we [at first] had [only] the local departments of fire and forest to assist in fighting this particular fire. We [eventually] did receive backup and it was at that point that containment began. [In spite of the assistance] of several fire fighting companies, the winds prevailed and continued to blow embers toward the homes on the ridge. As you probably heard on the news, we lost many homes in this fire. It was very sad to see so much of the devastation in our own backyard. It was hard to witness what happened to our neighbors and friends. We are working together as a community to bring together the necessary tools, support and help that is needed.
She goes on to explain their evacuation plan and to reassure people that, "Our fire escape plans, whether it be on a weekend or weekday, are the same. Evacuation orders are usually given with plenty of time to leave the area safely." and "Your children will leave this mountain before I would pick up my own children. The reason for this is that all of our school sites are fire "stations" in the event of a fire. The local mountain schools would keep the students for as long as needed and as long as it was safe. Our local schools also have higher brush clearance policies than the average homeowner."
Inside the Outdoors has a fire update page on their website - CLICK HERE for their latest updates
According to their fire update web page: "As of Thursday afternoon [10/25/07] all of the Outdoor Science School sites were saved from the Running Springs Fires."
October 26, 2007
Laura "Leaf" Vandezande reports:
Hi Hill is fine- no fires anywhere near us!
I also heard that the land all around the Inside the Outdoors office [in Santiago Canyon, Orange County] is burned, but their office is safe.
October 23, 2007
Hi, all. Here's the unofficial update from OCDE Inside the Outdoors Outdoor Science School.
As far as we know, both of our sites (Calvary & Cedar Crest) have NOT burned, but were evacuated on Monday. Recent updates say that there is fire moving towards Pali Mountain (not one of our sites). We have closed all 6 of our sites this week, but are expecting to run the four sites on [the Barton Flats/Forest Falls] side of the mountain next week. We are also very concerned about several of our staff who live in Green Valley Lake and Running Springs...as far as we know, they are OK, but we are still waiting to hear about their homes.....SOOOO scary!!!
For those of you that have been evacuated or are dealing with the threat of fire, I sincerely wish you and your families all the best and I hope that you all are safe. If anyone of you has been evacuated or just can't handle the smoke and you need a place to stay, please give me a call (c: 909-744-4484) .
For those of you that have called or emailed, thank you for your concern.
Fondly, Kris Pamintuan, Southern AEOE Member at Large
Thanks to all the donations and support, Boojum today has new offices and a new location in the San Jacinto Mountains - see their website for current information.
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| Boojum Office - Before | Serrano House - Before |
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| Boojum Office - After | Serrano House - After |
For a Slide Show with many more photos of the fire and aftermath - click
here
The 2006 Sawtooth Complex Fire at Pioneer Town has destroyed the Offices and homes of AEOE Institutional Members Boojum Institute. Go to their homepage, www.boojum.org, to read accounts of the fire, including a narrow escape by Executive Director, Jeff Baierlein. No staff were injured, but their home was destroyed. Their program will continue, as they lead trips far and wide.
The Boojum Institute suffered a devastating wildfire on July 11, 2006 that completely destroyed its offices and the personal items of over 10 outdoor education interns and field instructors.
The Boojum Institute, founded in 1975, is a non- profit educational organization that provides premium quality outdoor education, team-building, and leadership development courses for schools, adult groups and others. Over 70,000 youth and young adults have participated in its base camp, rock climbing, challenge course (ropes course), canoeing, sea kayaking, and backpack programs in locations such as Joshua Tree National Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Yosemite National Park, Colorado River and Lake Mead, and the Sierra Nevada and San Jacinto Mountains. The mission of the Boojum Institute is to unlock potential, promote self- discovery, and inspire growth.
San Bernardino Mountains Programs| San Diego Programs | Other Programs | Stories from the Fire | Back to Fire Information
The Cedar Fire in San Diego County and the Old Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains are now both 100% contained. Mandatory evacuation orders have been lifted for all areas. See California Wildfire Information for the latest updates.
The Angeles National Forest and the San Bernardino National Forest (except for burn areas) are now open! The Cleveland National Forest just reopened (partially) as well - check their website for details and updates.
If anyone knows of more specifics that I can post here,
San Bernardino Mountains Programs| San Diego Programs | Other Programs | Stories from the Fire | Back to Fire Information
San Bernardino Mountains Programs:
Now all of the mountain area is open to residents with identification (passes no longer required). Big Bear and areas east are open to the public. Road Closure and Evacuation Updates and Guidelines here
Arrowhead Ranch, Lake Arrowhead/Running Springs area: I called them on 11/12 and the great news is that Arrowhead Ranch is fine - the fire came within about a mile, but you can't see any effects from the fire from campus - their outdoor ed program is starting up again November 18th and they'll be back in full swing! In addition, they lease Pinecrest Conference Center, which was also untouched by fires. From an email 11/18: "We were just fine throughout the evacuation. We look the same, the camps all do... it's the rim that is scorched. I think it is a good thing for the kids to see the power of fire on mountains. We are truly fortunate that we were untouched. Those firefighters did one hell of a job. It was a half mile from our main camp. We came out of it so lucky. We are back in business with kids this week. We have 50 kids, a good way to begin anew." See a fire story from Arrowhead Ranch
Blue Sky Meadow (LA County), east of Onyx Summit and the town of Big Bear City: fires contained, evacuation order lifted! Welcome back!
Camp Highland, Beaumont - no fires were in the area, no evacuation was required. But they do have some job openings!
Camp High Trails - see their fire update on the Camp High Trails Website - Camp is open as of Monday, November 10th
Orange County Outdoor Schools: see their fire/flood update page
Pali Mountain Institute, Running Springs - All staff evacuated safely, and, although the fire was in the area, their site was not impacted by fire - good news!
Thousand Pines, Crestline - Quite a bit of fire in the area, but Thousand Pines was spared! Evacuation orders lifted, residents may return - welcome back! I called them on 11/12 and their answering machine message states that the outdoor school and all staff are fine.
San Diego County Programs: George Stratman of the SDCOE reports that so far all of their sites have been spared
Evacuation updates: All evacuation orders have been lifted - residents may return home - welcome back!
YMCA sites near Julian: See their Fire News page. The town of Julian was saved and is back in business, but much of the surrounding area has suffered severe property loss from the Cedar Fire. However, YMCA Camps Marston & Raintree Ranch did survive - all major structures are standing! Great News!! All of the staff were safely evacuated before the fire came through. Read their story-it is inspiring. Sad to report that Camp Staff Sandy Lee, Alan Wolowsky, Cindy Hammer and Jeff Elliot lost their homes to the fire. POST-FIRE UPDATE
Other Outdoor School Programs near fires
(No coastal sites were in danger because of fires, although they
may have gotten quite a bit of smoke! Santa Barbara was out of harm's way as
well)
San Gabriel Mountains sites: None of the sites in the San Gabriel Mountains have been threatened by fire thus far
The Angeles National Forest has re-opened! (Friday, November 7th)
If you have information about any sites or staff, or if your program is affected by the fires but is not listed, or you know of any I missed,
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