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On Friday, July 5th at 3:45 PM the Lake Fire began near Zaca Lake. Two days later, the fire crossed Figueroa Mountain Road entering Sedgwick Reserve. In the coming days, the fire burned across the northern, eastern, and central parts of the Reserve, stopping less than a mile from the Ranch House.
As of July 25th, the fire is 90% contained, including 100% of the fire line within Sedgwick Reserve. And so it is time to assess the impacts and look toward recovery. It will be some weeks before we are able to estimate the full extent of the damage but here is what we do know:
Three thousand acres of Sedgwick Reserve burned in the Lake Fire. Habitat, wildlife, trees, research plots, cameras, and other vital resources were lost. Roads and trails will need to be assessed before we can reopen our Reserve to researchers, classes, and the visiting public. We have a long road ahead of us, but we are optimistic. To learn more about initial impacts and needs visit our website.
The glass is more than half full. Half of the reserve did not experience this fire including our base-of-operations field station, as well as many important habitat and research areas. Some parts of the the Reserve experienced lower intensity 'good fire' which spared many of the trees while removing brush. Furthermore, the fire taking place within a research reserve has provided a unique opportunity for the scientific community to study wildfires and their impacts.
We are also optimistic because we know the power of the community to support Sedgwick Reserve in a time of need. We depend on the support of donors to fund most of our operations and we are in need of gifts to help us with supplies and staffing as we look toward recovery and reopening. Support Sedgwick Reserve Today!
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