Whiskeytown Closes for the Summer Due to Carr Fire Damage
Northern California’s beloved Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, home of beautiful waterfalls, stunning beaches and a crystal clear lake, is closing for the remainder of the summer due to the extensive damage cause by the Carrr Fire.
A National Park Service official said that the park will be closed for at least the upcoming month, if not longer.
The fire is still active in parts of the park, making it difficult to determine the exact amount of damage caused by the catastrophic fire. Damage to power lines, water and sewer lines, as well as a water treatment plant will make the road to recovery long and arduous. There are also numerous burned trees that are a falling hazard to visitors.
Pictures of Whiskeytown Lake Resort, CA after the Carr Fire blazed through. I can’t figure this out, how the boat melted, but the wooden dock didn’t catch fire. Here is the FB link to more photos: https://t.co/8IE3SbxwGU pic.twitter.com/wQZc4rE7IB
— Katie (@Rynhedrick) July 29, 2018
Officials will look to repair damage done to the infrastructure of the park, like power and water lines, before working on the damage done to trails and other recreational areas. Much of the park’s main attractions, like the visitors center and Brandy Creek Beach, were spared from the flames, although the Oak Bottom Marina suffered extensive damage.
The 39,000 acre park was completely consumed by the fire, which wrapped around the entire lake and into Redding, burning over 100,000 acres of land, destroying over 1,200 structures and killing six people. The Carr Fire, named after it began from a vehicle malfunction by the Carr Powerhouse, is now the 7th most destructive fire in California history.
The park issued a positive statement on social media following what has been the toughest week in the park’s history:
Yes, Whiskeytown will be different after the Carr Fire. We’ve all lost a little piece of what makes this area special to us… tree-covered hikes to a beautiful waterfall; the sound of the breeze blowing through the oaks and pines at your favorite lakeside spot; the red of dogwoods, yellow of big leaf maples, and oranges of black oaks in the fall. The fire-caused scars will hurt to look at for awhile. But, you know what?
It will all return!