The Palisades wildfire broke out in the Malibu area of Los Angeles on Tuesday and could become the most devastating fire in California’s history. In the days since, four more fires have sprung up around the city, from Beverly Hills to Arcadia, San Fernando, and within the Angeles National Forest. As these fires devastate neighborhoods and daily life, they’re also destroying the area’s state parks.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, California State Parks (CSP) published a press release reporting that the Palisades Fire had destroyed historic buildings and multiple structures in Topanga State Park and Will Rogers Historic State Park — including the iconic Will Rogers Ranch House.
“California State Parks mourns the loss of these treasured natural and cultural resources, and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area,” State Parks Director Armando Quintero said. “Since yesterday afternoon, we are directing all available resources into the emergency response effort and working to secure and protect as much as we can at affected nearby state parks.”
When the fires broke out on Jan. 7, CSP preemptively closed Topanga and Will Rogers. By that evening, the fire had swept into the area and spread quickly. While the full damage assessment has yet to be done, CSP noted that Will Rogers’ historic ranch house and other historic buildings at Will Rogers historic state park were destroyed, as well as the Topanga Ranch Motel, all its concessions, and the state park employee residences.
All told, since Tuesday, more than 30 buildings have been destroyed at Topanga State Park and Will Rogers Historic State Park. However, CSP was able to evacuate horses, some cultural and historical artifacts, and artwork before the fire arrived.
“We are deeply grateful to our parks staff and all partner agencies for their swift actions,” Quintero said.
Topanga & Will Rogers State Parks: Wildfire Losses
Will Rogers Historic State Park sits below Inspiration Point and became a state park in 1944. The 186-acre estate was home to Rogers’ 31-room ranch house, his stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, golf course, polo field, and numerous riding and hiking trails.
The area is also proximate to GearJunkie parent company AllGear Digital’s Los Angeles office. Many employees there have had to evacuate and relocate.
“Will Rogers has hikes with some of the most beautiful views of the entire L.A. metro area, and it’s popular for picnics, birthday parties, polo matches, concerts, and other outdoor events,” Dmitry Gordeychev, AllGear Digital vice president of finance and corporate development, told GearJunkie. “It’s definitely near and dear to us.”
Topanga State Park is an 11,525-acre state park in the Santa Monica Mountains. It has 36 miles of trails within its boundaries, which extend from the Pacific Ocean to the San Fernando Valley. According to data from CSP, it is the fifth most visited state park in California, with more than 1,752,500 visitors annually.
“Both Topanga and Will Rogers are very popular areas for recreation and are beloved, particularly by folks on the west side of L.A.,” Gordeychev said.
Damage Beyond the Parks: ‘Life-Altering’ Situation
Beyond state parks, the fires have also damaged some of L.A.’s other popular recreation spots. Runyon Canyon Park, another extremely popular hiking destination, erupted in flames on Jan. 8. Areas all along the Pacific Coast Highway, where people jog, walk dogs, hike, picnic, and surf, have been burned.
“These natural areas are completely torched, and the beautiful homes around them are chimneys and ashes,” AllGear Digital Director of Branded Content, Luke House, told GearJunkie. House has been evacuated from his home since the fires started on Tuesday. Homes less than a mile from his have been reduced to ashes. He said he is watching the map helplessly as the fire creeps closer to his home.
“It’s all just happening in real-time, and I don’t think we’ll be able to fully comprehend the impact until it’s all done,” House said. “But this is life-altering for so many Los Angelenos. Right now, the priority is checking in on members of the community, reaching out to folks who lost everything, and listening to the fire department and authorities who are doing everything they can to get the flames under control.”
Sophia Robinson, another AllGear Digital employee based in L.A., said some residential areas, like the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, look like a bomb razed them to the ground.
“The city will be scarred for decades, and I don’t know where the displaced will move or how they will rebuild these destroyed areas,” Robinson said. “These fires are in some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in southern California. My heart is broken for the city.”
Check out the Cal Fire website for real-time updates on the fires and maps of where they’re burning and what has been controlled.
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