Circle V Ranch Camp Rebuild Underway

The cleanup and rebuilding of Circle V Ranch Camp is underway and expected to cost at least $200,000 in the wake of last month’s Whittier Fire, which destroyed two lodges and a water-treatment facility. David Fields, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul of Los Angeles, which operates the camp, said the damages have forced nearly 1,000 campers and 1,800 retreat guests to cancel their scheduled stays in the coming months. “We look forward to welcoming everyone back in June 2018,” he said. The camp was the site of a multi-agency rescue of 88 children and 36 staffers as Whittier sparked to life and grew rapidly on the afternoon of 7/8. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.