Mataguay Fire Puts Boy Scout Camp in Peril
The following is one scoutmaster’s account of the July 14 ‘Mataguay Fire’ of 2004…(written by John Scarborough, Scoutmaster of T308 in La Mesa)

Mataguay Scout Reservation off SR 79 Tuesday, July 14.

It all started without much commotion. We were finishing lunch (burgers and fries, and chocolate malts for dessert) sometime before 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

The scoutmaster next to me said, "I smell smoke."

Not being able to smell it myself, I casually walked to the back of Parker Dining Hall at Camp Mataguay, from where I could see down the valley. What I saw was enough to start turning my just-finished lunch into a knot in my stomach.

Way down the valley to the west, a plume of smoke rose into the sky — too much for anything but a growing wildfire. It was still very far from us, but in exactly the wrong location, from the terrain and the prevailing winds. That spot was the only way out!

300 Boy Scouts were forced to evacuate Camp Mataguay.

A few minutes went by, then the Silva Lodge Bell started its urgent call: Fire! (This is not a drill!) We gathered at the Parker Fire ring. It was fairly easy at this time of day: 11 of our scouts and my co-leader, Kurt Hoeger, already were gathered at the dining hall. My son Sean was with the SPL’s at their luncheon meeting; he showed up in a few minutes.

Before long, all scouts and leaders were accounted for. The plan was put forth: scouts headed for Blackfoot Fort, the leaders headed for their vehicles. The initial plan, to pick up the scouts and head out the back way, was nixed by police and fire personnel on site. The scouts were all loaded into the vehicles, and drivers were directed to the front road, and told that fire trucks would escort them out.

About 1:30 p.m., we made our way through camp and headed out the front gateway, past the camp ranger’s house. All was calm and seemed to be on track for an early, orderly evacuation. But that was not to be.

About a mile outside the gateway, a wall of smoke closed in. The convoy of vehicles was stopped; the first three vehicles were allowed through, but before the next group could be released, conditions had worsened enough to warrant a shift to "Plan B." Ours was the fifth car in the line — imagine our disappointment!

Plan B took the remaining troops back to Parker Hall. We parked along the road leading to the dining hall, leaving a lane for emergency vehicles to pass. It was still remarkably clear, as the smoke was mostly blowing north and east. Even so, the flames could be seen gradually working their way eastward up Mataguay Valley.

The firefighting planes (air tankers) and the newly acquired firefighting helicopters were constantly working back and forth; you could watch the helicopter going down to Parker Lake and sucking up a new load of water, for the next drop on the flames...At the time, it was hard to see where the retardant chemicals were being deployed.

All that anyone could do right now was sit and wait — the California Department of Forestry was doing its job, and only time would tell what the next step would be.

The scouts were hydrated, well and often, and the staff members broke into song (which the scouts survived). Later, my assistant Kurt broke out his bagpipes. That kept the boys entertained, and for the most part, few signs of anxiety were visible.

Everyone — Camp Director Ron Schoenmel, Ken Ford, Staff Leader Steve, all the staff members and troop leaders, did an outstanding job of keeping things calm. The boys learned what it meant to have patience; the queries of "What are we doing next?" and "When do we leave?" were answered the best they could be- with "We’ll know soon" and "When it’s time."

There were a few tears and a number of anxious faces among the boys, but for the most part, a nervous anticipation and a preparedness that exemplified scouting prevailed.

Time passed. CDF and law enforcement personnel were coming and going, keeping the staff members informed. Planes and helicopters were constantly present, circling and making
passes on the fire (the boys could not have had a better show!)

Around 4 p.m., the leaders were called together. The situation was described: The main fire had passed the front road (the area we had been in on our earlier exit attempt) and had now burned through. We would be going out the front soon.

An arm of the fire still was burning on the south side of the valley, working up into the camp. At the time, it didn’t seem like it would present a problem.

The word was given: Everyone was directed to their cars for the exodus from camp. Around 4:15, the caravan of about 25 cars headed out from the Parker Lake area toward the front of camp. Ahead of us, smoke and patches of clear air were alternating in the sky.

As we got down to the "A-frame," we were directed not toward the gateway entrance, but across the field often used for Webelos Woods parking to the south side of the valley, to hold on. We could see flames flaring up right around the gateway entrance, and CDF crews were doing their best to knock those flames down, to make a safe passage for us. We later learned that this was a backfire set to clear that area.

As we waited in the cars, which were in four columns of six or seven cars each (we were about number 20 in line, with only three or four cars behind us), we watched the fire crews and engines all around us do their thing.

About 700 or 800 yards to the southwest, we could see flames flare up on a ridge. At that distance, it was a spectacular sight, but the downside was, the wind was pushing this fire straight at us.

Time passed interminably as we waited in line. The flames kept up their relentless advance. Now 300 yards away. When were we going to move?

Now only a hundred yards away, the fire seemed to pick up speed as it crossed the grass-covered field. Fire tornados swept back and forth on the leading edge of the fire. The fire crews were moving and working...and finally, the column started moving!

Nobody panicked — everyone held their places in line. As we waited our turn, the fire bore down on us. It was a surreal scene — the sunlight filtering through the thickening smoke, the fire closer than anything you have seen in your life, and the firefighters, calmly doing their jobs in the middle of it.

Someone pointed out that right next to us, as we waited, sat 400- to 500-gallon propane tanks. I never even saw them, or if I did, they didn’t register in my mind. Maybe some intuition told me that they couldn’t be filled with propane at the time — and as it turns out, they weren’t.

Still waiting for our turn to move, the fire was now a scant 20 yards away, with only a 20-foot-wide blacktop road between it and us.

Finally! We were moving! At that very instant, a wall of smoke made it almost impossible to see the taillights of the vehicle in front of us. And then, just that quickly, we could breathe again.

As soon as we began moving, the smoke cleared, the fire was instantly behind us, the column of cars was headed out towards the road and safety, and the relief — at least for this driver — was palpable. We left the camp with the fire crews diligently working to save the camp, and said a quick prayer for their success and safety.

As we headed out the road the second time, the difference was striking. Where before we had passed brown fields and green trees, there was now a smoking, blackened landscape. Tree stumps still burned. Pockets of fire were reluctant to die. Power poles were burned through at their bases but still standing upright, holding their wires.

The sky was clear now; the fire and the smoke were completely behind us. We could see more firefighting resources coming into the camp to work the fire. There were law enforcement personnel all around. TV crews were interviewing the carloads as they passed by.

We got to the main highway, state Route 79, and headed north to Warner Springs High School, our rallying point. Once we were all there, roll call was conducted, everyone was accounted for, and we were released to make our way home — with many exciting versions of this story to tell.

As we left Warner Springs and headed south, we had the opportunity to drive right past the area where the fire started, right next to SR79. It didn’t look like much, just huge blackened grass fields. To think that it was started with "bottle rockets" — the CDF’s original finding — is maddening. It could only be deliberate arson, or "felony stupidity." Hopefully, the responsible party(s) will be brought to task.

Meanwhile, we count our blessings: no lives lost; minimal injuries for the firefighting crews; all scouts, all staff members, safe and sound. We can only hope Camp Mataguay survives without significant damage.

As for everyone’s memories of summer camp 2004, they will definitely have fewer merit badges — but more than a few stories to tell!