Fires stoke resistance to new campsites

By Martha Groves

Nov. 26, 2007 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

With Malibu enduring its third significant wildfire of the year, some residents say this weekend’s Corral fire has strengthened their resolve to oppose a controversial plan to expand camping in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The specter of new campgrounds in arid hills and canyons is “just a scary scenario,” said Ed Meyer, a four-year resident of Malibu whose home overlooks Malibu Canyon.

“There are no fire towers here,” he added. “You’re in a risky fire area. You know [campers are] going to sneak in hibachis and light little campfires.”

On Dec. 5, the Malibu City Council is expected to vote on a proposal by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy that would encourage more use of the mountains by hikers and campers. It would provide for overnight camping at Corral Canyon and Charmlee Wilderness Park, near the Ventura County border.

But residents say allowing overnight camping in the arid hills and canyons would be foolish now that fire season looms year-round in Malibu.

“We have plenty of campgrounds along the beach,” said Cynthia Benjamin, whose house in the El Nido area of Corral Canyon was saved by firefighters. “We won’t have fires blowing into our canyons and mountains from the beach.”

The weekend fire started along a dirt road at the top of Corral Canyon Road near Castro Mountain Way in Malibu Creek State Park. Fire officials said the blaze was started by “human activity” but have not said whether it was accidentally or deliberately set.

Neighbors have long complained about late-night parties and other unsanctioned behavior on public parklands in the area.

Holden MacRae, a Pepperdine University professor of sports medicine and Corral Canyon resident, said youths often party, especially on nights with a full moon, in caves near where the fire started. The moon was nearly full Friday night.

Six months ago, state park rangers increased patrols and citations for parking after hours, among other violations, and they have ticketed minors for being in possession of alcohol, said Ron Schafer, a state park superintendent. Schafer said he wasn’t aware of any calls from residents Friday night, but “a ranger went up in that area sometime Friday night.” Malibu Mayor Jeff Jennings said residents opposed to the camping plan must realize that the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy has the right to put campsites on the public lands it oversees. The city, he said, is attempting to retain some control over the situation.

The city has vowed to impose a requirement for a ranger or other trained individual to monitor the camping areas around the clock. The city is also considering a ban on campfires.

Joseph T. Edmiston, the conservancy’s longtime executive director, defended the safety of the camping proposal.

Under the current plan, no campers would be allowed on “red flag” days when fire danger is highest.

Sharon Barovsky, a City Council member who supports the plan, said studies by fire departments and the state Department of Parks and Recreation show that “campsites reduce the risk of fire by arson and by accident.”

“Arsonists don’t like to go into areas where they know there are people,” she said.

She also noted that if the city of Malibu does not approve the plan, the conservancy, a state agency, could bypass the city and present its proposal directly to the California Coastal Commission, which advocates camping and open access to public lands.

“The council is trying desperately to juggle the fact that [the conservancy] will probably get approval from the coastal commission,” Barovsky said. “We would have nothing to say, unless we filed a lawsuit. I can’t see a judge saying that the public can’t use public land.”

Sara Wan, who sits on both the coastal commission and the conservancy’s board, said she thought it unfortunate that Malibu residents were letting concerns about fire affect their view of the camping plan. “Their fears are real, but they’re not justified,” she said. “The public at large has to be able to use its parks.”

A separate issue also has troubled some residents in the Malibu fire zone. They contend that construction at the Corral Canyon Road crossing over Solstice Creek created a choke point for fleeing residents and arriving firetrucks.

The California Coastal Conservancy earlier this year gave the city of Malibu a $145,000 grant to remove an existing culvert and replace it with a “clear span bridge.” Several environmental groups had pushed for the project, saying the culvert was impeding the movement of steelhead trout. Residents said workers narrowed the passage.

“The city endangered our lives by making a two-lane road a one-lane road down there,” complained eight-year resident Paul Aiello, a screenwriter. “They did it in September, at the height of the fire season.”

Jennings and Barovsky disputed that claim, saying the evacuation went smoothly as residents heeded alerts and took advantage of alternate routes to get to Pacific Coast Highway.

Fire officials said the project caused no bottlenecks for firefighters.

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Dennis Cross said he had heard no reports “that any of our equipment was held up.”

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Times staff writers Karen Kaplan, Ashraf Khalil, Robert J. Lopez and Bob Pool contributed to this report.