Despite the hopes of cabin owners in the Big Santa Anita Canyon, the Bobcat Fire spilled over the canyon’s edge from the Angeles National Forest on the evening of September 13.
According to its permittee association, the cabin community consists of 80 historic homes that date back to the early years of the 20th century, along with Camp Sturtevant, the last remaining mountain camp from the Great Hiking Era of the 1880s to the 1930s. The cabins have been continually occupied since their construction.
Owners waited for weeks for word about the status of their cabins from the Forest Service, with many just receiving word late last week on whether or not their cabin had been destroyed. Community members have volunteered with the Forest Service to clear debris and check on surroundings, although some have yet to see their cabins in person.
Guests:
Aaron Ash, deputy district ranger on the Los Angeles Gateway Ranger District of the Angeles National Forest
Maggie Moran, owner of Adams Pack Station, which ferries freight by pack animal to and from Forest Service work projects, cabins, and Sturtevant Camp, which are miles from the nearest roads
Ben Fitzsimmons, president of the Big Santa Anita Canyon Permittees Association and owner of one of the historic cabins