Rebuilding a council camp from the ashes

Since the 1950s, Camp Silver Fir served as a gateway into California’s Sierra National Forest. It was a scenic mountain camp for Scouts to enjoy hiking, fishing, swimming and boating. The camp’s all-volunteer staff helped units craft fun high-adventure experiences at an elevation of 7,200 feet.

However, five years ago, the Creek Fire swept through the area, consuming nearly 380,000 acres and destroying more than 800 structures, including most of the camp’s buildings. It ranked as one of the state’s largest fires on record. Fueled by high winds, the blaze even uprooted and charred a 200-foot pine tree with a 6-foot wide diameter trunk on the camp property’s border.

The Verdugo Hills Council shut down the camp to assess the damage. The main lodge was spared, but many of the century-old buildings were lost. The camp’s committee members met regularly to see how they could rebuild. One priority was installing a new access bridge.

After more than three years of planning and meetings with the U.S. Forest Service, the bridge was installed in late 2023, with major help from engineer Chris Linneman from Summers Engineering; Charles McElvany, president and CEO of McElvany Inc.; and Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group.

But that was just the first task.

Troop steps up

Scouts from Troop 219 of Burbank, Calif., crossed the bridge to begin the much-needed work last summer. As camp committee members monitored the work, the Scouts cleared brush from the access road and cleaned campsites. Despite being surrounded by bare trees and charred stumps – a haunting reminder of the devastating blaze – the Scouts worked cheerfully, enjoying their service to the beloved camp.

The troop returned this year to set up a memorial to Sam and Millie Engel, longtime Scouters who helped establish the camp. The memorial included a plaque mounted to a flagpole that survived the fire.

Work to do

The camp still needs a lot of work. It’s nonoperational, and access is limited.

The camp’s committee is working to rebuild the buildings that were destroyed, fix the damaged infrastructure (power and water are still offline), replace the boat docks and clean the remaining campsites. The road needs to be upgraded too.

The biggest hurdle for these projects is a lack of funds. The camp’s committee estimates $1.4 million will be needed to get the camp operational again. The council is working to create a foundation to raise money and resources to rebuild the camp. You can stay up to date on ways to help by following the council’s social media accounts or visiting the council’s website.