Wildlife Sanctuary Survives Wetlands Fire

The wind-blown fire that scorched 10 acres of Upper Newport Bay this week left an ugly black scar on the fragile wetlands, a sore reminder to biologists of just how vulnerable the state-owned sanctuary is to injury.

But the damage is not expected to have a significant impact on the environment, officials said.

“It’s so, so sensitive, so susceptible to even the slightest interference,” said Loren Hays, a Fish and Wildlife biologist who toured the charred area Thursday. “We were lucky this time. I mean real lucky.”

Fire officials said source of the blaze is suspicious because it started in a muddy swath of marshland in the ecological preserve shortly after four teenagers were seen running from the area. Then the fire--whipped around by the stiff, dry Santa Ana winds that wreaked havoc on the region Wednesday--marched up a hillside toward homes on Santiago Drive and forced the voluntary evacuation of at least 40 residences.

Investigators who scoured the marshland Thursday were not able to determine the exact cause of the fire and doubted that they would.

The 752-acre preserve is one of Southern California’s largest and most delicate coastal wetlands, known for its rich array of threatened birds, fish and sensitive plants. The marshes shelter such rarities as the light-footed clapper rail, a long-legged bird protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.