Fire Blamed on Bad Engine Destroys 2 RVs at Private Park

A fire apparently sparked by a faulty engine destroyed two RVs Saturday afternoon at a campground near Acton, authorities said.

Ten firefighters responded to the 2:50 p.m. blaze at the Thousand Trails park, said Art Marrujo, a dispatch supervisor at the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished within half an hour, he said.

Steve Werner, general manager of the 268-acre park, said the fire was caused by an engine problem in one of the recreational vehicles. When the owner tried to start the engine, he said, it ignited.

“It was engulfed in flames,” Werner said, adding that the second vehicle that burned was parked a few feet away.

A ranger at the park, Lonny LaChappelle, said the flames were fueled by the vehicles’ propane tanks, which exploded.

Thousand Trails, on Crown Valley Road south of Soledad Canyon Road, is a members-only resort, according to its receptionist. The resort has 53 campgrounds throughout the country and many members are retirees, she said.

Werner estimated that one of the destroyed RVs was worth $60,000 and the other $30,000.