Destruction caused by the Sand Fire cut so deep that several roads and trails inside the burn area remain off limits to non-residents a year later.
In terms of actual roads traveled by motorists that remain closed one year after the fact, there exists only one winding road still shut down.
“The remaining road closed is a continuous approximately 33-mile stretch of Little Tujunga Canyon Road at one and a half miles north of Gold Creek Road, that becomes Sand Canyon Road in the north just north of Placerita Canyon Road,” Steve Frasher, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, told The Signal Thursday.
“Guard rails were destroyed in the fire and before the road could be re-opened it was inundated with debris from last winter’s storms,” he said.
“Repaired areas are also not yet paved,” Frasher said. “There is no projected date for officially re-opening this stretch.”
The federal government, however, has a longer list of no-go areas.
Less than two months ago, on Apr. 28, Jeffrey Vail, Forest Supervisor for the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, signed Order Number 05-01-17-04, called the Sand Fire Closure, making it a $5000 fine for any person – or a $10,000 fine for any group – that enters the no-go areas.
No one is allowed to go into or be on National Forest System land inside the Sand Fire closure area and no one is allowed to be on any road in the Sand Fire area.
Although the US Forest Service reopen the Pacific Crest Trail through the burn area, the Wilson Saddle Trail remains off limits.
The only people allowed into the “Sand Fire Closure” areas are: anyone with a permit issued by the US Forest Service; people who own or lease land in the area; people who live inside the area and first responders.
The order restricting access remains in effect until Apr. 28, 2018.
Roads closed to the public by the US Forest Service area are all on federal land and identified as numbered roads such as Forest Road No. 3N37. Some like Forest Road No. 4N33 are identified by their familiar names, for example Forest Road No. 4N33 is referred to as Moody Canyon.
The US Forest Service, however, issued a map with its no-go order which includes all roads within its jurisdiction.
