SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Park Springs to Life Again After Fire

Spring is breathing new life into Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, where 5,200 acres were scorched by fire last fall.

The new season is helping the burned areas recover from the devastation, bringing an explosion of new colors and plant life to the park.

Everything from shooting stars to Indian paintbrush is blooming in the park, officials say.

“The wildflowers are starting to pop,” said Jina Drury, a park technician. “It’s very pretty.”

The fire cleared parklands of heavy brush and dense trees, allowing new plant life to take root and flourish.

“We are seeing flowers in areas we haven’t seen them before,” Drury said. “And the ashy black ground is now being replaced by green, grassy areas. The park is making a nice recovery.”

Spring has brought more visitors to the park to picnic, pedal the miles of mountain bike trails or ride horses along San Juan Creek.

But not everything about spring’s arrival is peachy.

“There’s a lot more trimming and mowing to do,” Drury said.