How the fires affect travel

The wildfires that devastated many Southern California communities also have disrupted travel on several fronts. The information below was accurate as of the Travel section’s deadline Tuesday.

Some sources for updates: For general fire information: National Interagency Fire Center, www.nifc.gov/fireinfo/nfn.html. For road closures: California Department of Transportation, (800) 427-7623 (recorded menu), www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roadupdt.

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Airlines loosen

rules, penalties

for rebooking

SOUTHERN California air traffic began to return to normal Tuesday after an FAA radar station north of San Diego, evacuated a week ago because of fire threat, returned to service. Hundreds of flights earlier had been canceled or delayed, sometimes by hours. It’s always wise to confirm your flight times before leaving home.

Airlines loosened rules for rebooking, to various degrees. Below are some policies as of Tuesday. For details and updates, contact your airline.

* American: Those traveling to or from California from Oct. 25 to Monday could rebook their travel as late as Monday without penalty.

* America West: Customers traveling through last Wednesday to or from airports in Burbank, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Ontario, Orange County, San Diego, Palm Springs, Carlsbad or Santa Barbara could change their reservations without penalty through Nov. 17. If they wanted to rebook after Nov. 17, the change fee would be waived, but they might owe the difference between the old and new fares.

* Delta: Customers traveling to or from Los Angeles, Ontario, Orange County or San Diego Oct. 24-31 could make changes without fee or penalty if they rebooked within seven days of the original travel date.

* Southwest: Customers flying into or out of LAX, Burbank, Ontario, San Diego or Orange County Oct. 26-29 could rebook travel or receive a refund without penalty if they acted by Oct. 29.

* United: Those who were ticketed on or before Oct. 26 for travel to or from LAX, Burbank, Orange County, Ontario or San Diego through Monday and did not use their tickets could rebook without a change fee. Travel must be completed by Nov. 15, and travelers might owe the difference between the old and new fares.

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Rocky roads

from Vegas;

trains restart

Thousands of revelers returning from Las Vegas last Sunday poured onto local roads when fires shut Interstate 15, a key route into the L.A. area.

Backups of 10 to 12 miles occurred on California 138 (Pearblossom Highway) in the Lancaster area, said Sgt. Robert Hulbert of the California Highway Patrol. The remote Mojave National Preserve, which is between Interstates 15 and 40, got “gobs of traffic” as drivers cut through it, said Deputy Supt. Larry Harris.

Facing nine hours and more on the road, some Los Angeles-bound drivers gave up and stayed overnight in Barstow. I-15 on Tuesday was shut from the junction with Interstate 210 in Rancho Cucamonga to the junction with U.S. 395 in Hesperia because of fires.

On Amtrak, there were still some delays Tuesday after the Coast Starlight, which runs between Los Angeles and Seattle, and the Pacific Surfliner, which runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, resumed full service. Amtrak had suspended service last Sunday between L.A. and San Luis Obispo and canceled a Coast Starlight run, affecting about 1,000 passengers, said spokeswoman Vernae Graham.

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San Diego

attractions,

hotels affected

Travelers bound for wildfire-ravaged San Diego County had best follow one simple rule: Check before you depart. Fires have caused some casinos, hotels and popular attractions such as the San Diego Wild Animal Park to deviate from their normal operations. (Phone service has been disrupted to some destinations, so check Web sites for updates.)

As of Tuesday, the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino near Lakeside and Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort near Valley Center were closed because of nearby fires.

Barona spokeswoman Kelly Speer said the Cedar fire had not damaged the resort’s 397-room hotel, casino and golf course, but it had “devastated” other parts of the Barona Indian Reservation, destroying about 20 tribal homes and closing Wildcat Canyon Road, the main access route; Barona had not set a date for reopening. Information: (888) 722-7662, www.barona.com.

Harrah’s Rincon spokesman Gary Thompson said his resort had been threatened by the Paradise fire but, as of Tuesday, had not been damaged. Though the resort’s Web site indicated the property would reopen soon, Thompson said no firm date had been set. (877) 777-2457, www.harrahs.com/our_casinos/rin.

Disruption of airline service reduced arrivals at some hotels, but finding a vacancy wasn’t necessarily easier, because some lodgings took in emergency workers and evacuees. Nearly half the rooms at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula are set aside for fire workers and victims through at least Nov. 10, said Ciara Coyle, the public relations manager. Of the resort’s 522 rooms, 150 will be offered free to members of the La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians, whose reservation near Palomar Mountain was evacuated, and 100 will be for California Department of Forestry firefighters.

Hilton hotels in Del Mar and La Jolla also were providing free rooms to evacuees.

San Diego Wild Animal Park spokesman Paul Garcia said guests, employees and 50 to 60 animals were evacuated Monday as the Paradise fire advanced toward the park, near Escondido. As of the Travel section’s deadline, the park had reopened with its usual exhibits, though food stands, stores and some guest services may be limited. (760) 747-8702, www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/visitor_info.html.

The San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park did not close, but because of smoke and ash, most primates were taken off exhibit until air quality improved, Garcia said. (619) 234-3153, www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/visitor_info.html.

Neither SeaWorld in San Diego nor Legoland in Carlsbad was in the path of fires, but both closed last week as attendance and air quality declined. Legoland planned to reopen last Thursday; a SeaWorld spokeswoman said her park was monitoring conditions and would reopen as soon as smoke and ash cleared. SeaWorld: (619) 226-3901, www.seaworld.com. Legoland: (760) 918-5346, www.legoland.com.

Craig Nakano

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DEAL OF THE WEEK

Savings on

Seattle hotels

The Seattle Super Saver program provides one-stop shopping for low-season discounts at 48 hotels for stays Nov. 7 through March 31. Among participating hotels are the Grand Hyatt Seattle, Hilton Seattle, Hotel Monaco Seattle and Westin Seattle. The annual program is run by Seattle’s Convention & Visitors Bureau. To reserve, visit www.seattlesupersaver.com or call (800) 535-7071 (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays).

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FREE FOR THE ASKING

Getting back to

nature in Virginia

The comprehensive 200-page “Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail: Mountain Area” guide offers maps of 34 driving loops in western Virginia. It describes hundreds of city and state parks, private lands and other sites for viewing wildlife along the way. Call (866) 822-4737. (Some of the information can also be found on the Web site of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlife/vbwt.)

-- Compiled by

Jane Engle