Castaic Lake to Be Closed for Holiday

San Fernando Valley residents planning to join 33 million Americans who will hop into a car, camper or onto a plane for the final holiday weekend of summer had better not head for Castaic Lake. The ever-popular Labor Day retreat is already at capacity--with firefighters.

“We’ve been getting calls from people all over Southern California who were hoping to come to this lake,” said Mika Yamamoto, assistant superintendent of the northern Los Angeles County park, now the headquarters for more than 2,000 firefighters battling the Marple Canyon blaze.

Over the three-day holiday last year, 20,400 campers, picnickers, boaters and fishing enthusiasts flocked to the lake, just a short distance from the spot along the Golden State Freeway where authorities say a teenage arsonist triggered the record-breaking wildfire on Monday.

“We are trying to let people know that we are closed until further notice,” Yamamoto said.

“Hopefully, not too many will travel the long distance to make the trip up here. This fire is really blazing and safety is certainly our main concern. Having the Fire Department here to take care of business is our No. 1 priority.”

The Oak Flats campground in Angeles National Forest 10 miles north of Castaic also is off limits for the holiday because it is being used for firefighting, said Cliff Johnson of the U.S. Forest Service. Hideaways within the campground include Piru Ponds and Piru Creek.

Vacationers who have somehow missed news reports for the past few days on the massive fire nearby may still find camping sites north on the Golden State Freeway at Pyramid Lake or west on California 126 at Lake Piru, forest officials said.

Travelers jittery about using the freeway, which has been closed twice by flames this week, might be reassured by predictions by the California Highway Patrol that it probably will not be closed again.

“Everything along the freeway is pretty much burned already,” said Rob Lund, CHP public affairs officer.

But Jeffrey Spring, spokesman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, suggested travelers heading out for the holiday who don’t already have reservations should call ahead to make sure space is available. “This could be one of the busiest Labor Day holidays,” Spring predicted, because of improved economic conditions and a decline in gasoline prices from the peak in April and May.

Studies by the Travel Industry Assn. of America indicate 7.2 million residents in the 11 western states will hit the road during the next three days--up 5% from a year ago, Spring said. The most popular destinations for Southern California residents, he said, are San Diego, Santa Barbara and other coastal beach cities as far north as San Luis Obispo.

For late travelers lacking reservations, Spring said hotel accommodations generally abound in Las Vegas. Campers usually can still find picturesque vistas and relaxing recreational activities at less well-known sites, away from national parks. Spring also suggested vacationers avoid peak travel hours by staying longer at their destination before returning home or selecting a return route over scenic back roads that might be more enjoyable than the heavily traveled interstates.

Officials at Burbank Airport warned that today will be the busiest since tougher security measures were ordered by President Clinton in July following the TWA Flight 800 tragedy.

“We anticipate a spike in the number of travelers” taking advantage of the long weekend to use airline tickets purchased during the fare wars of the past month, said Sean McCarthy, airport assistant director of public affairs and communications.

Baggage must be properly tagged with the name and address of passengers, who must also carry photo identification to be shown to airline personnel, McCarthy said.

He advises travelers to arrive at least an hour before their flight time, to check first by phone with airlines to verify whether their flight is on time, and to allow extra time for traffic at the airport.

Airline passengers can get recorded information on parking availability and costs by calling the airport at (818) 840-8837 or by tuning their radio to AM-530 as they approach.