Photographs from the Photography on the Run post: Ahmanson Ranch After the 2025 Kenneth Fire
The LAFD reported the Kenneth Fire at about 50 acres at 2:39 PM on January 9, 2025.
At 2:34 PM on January 9, 2025, a personal weather station very near the start of the fire reported the wind from the ENE at about 11 mph, gusting to 22 mph. At this station, the wind moderated somewhat over the course of the afternoon and early evening, but picked back up overnight. The graphics are from Weather Underground for station KCAWOODL130.
Overview of the Kenneth Fire Perimeter and Burn Area. The perimeter is from the WFIGS/NIFC. The Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) is in the upper right corner.
This small valley oak is about a quarter-mile from the Victory Trailhead on the East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fire Road. It was barely singed by the fire. January 28, 2025.
Looking back (east) at the burned terrain along East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fire Road, about a half-mile from the Victory Trailhead. The two young valley oaks on opposite sides of the road should be OK. January 28, 2025.
Valley oak along East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fire Road, about three-quarters of a mile from the Victory Trailhead. The fire appears to have had little impact on the tree. January 28, 2025.
Boundary of the Kenneth Fire (left) along East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fire Road, about1.2 miles from the Victory Trailhead. January 28, 2025.
Classic oak savanna in East Las Virgenes Canyon, near the bottom of the Lasky Mesa Trail. All the terrain in the photo was burned in the Kenneth Fire. Trees with few or no leaves are generally valley oaks. Those with green or scorched leaves are coast live oaks. February 11, 2025.
Until it collapsed in the Winter of 2022-23 -- a victim of drought and multiple fires -- there was one documented blue oak in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). April 10, 2023.
This is all that remains of the fallen blue oak after the Kenneth Fire. Dry, dead wood burns much more readily than a live tree. January 28, 2025.
View south, toward East Las Virgenes Canyon, of unburned oak grassland. This is from the service road connecting East Las Virgenes Canyon to upper Las Virgenes Canyon. The distant hill in the center of the photo is in the burn area. January 28, 2025.
Pool on Las Virgenes Creek, north of the Las Virgenes Trailhead. Firefighters prevented the Kenneth Fire from moving into this area. The photo was taken a couple of days before the fire.
Mountain lion tracks on the Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fireroad, about a half-mile from the Las Virgenes Trailhead. The lion was going north, up the canyon. January 28, 2025.
Firefighters protected residences near the Las Virgenes Trailhead and along the southern flank of the fire. February 11, 2025.
The Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fireroad was widened into a firebreak. January 28, 2025.
This large -- and very old -- valley oak, near the Las Virgenes Trailhead, was not burned. January 28, 2025.
The burn area to the northeast of the residences near the Las Virgenes Trailhead. Lasky Mesa is on the right skyline. The containment line for the northwest flank of the fire is along the rounded ridge on the left. February 11, 2025.
A Vexcel Imaging/Google Earth image of the containment line seen in previous image. The line, and a lot of work, prevented the northwest flank of the fire from advancing into Las Virgenes Canyon. Image is dated January 10, 2025.
A large part of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch) did not burn. This is the view northeast from the pipeline service road that connects East Las Virgenes Canyon to Lasky Mesa. February 11, 2025.
Older valley oaks tend to have hollow trunks, which makes them especially vulnerable to fire. This tree was burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. It is just outside of the Kenneth Fire perimeter. January 28, 2025.
Burned ravine on the west slope of Lasky Mesa. January 28, 2025.
Oaks in the burned ravine on the west side of Lasky Mesa. Some of these should survive. February 11, 2025.
Generally, healthy, uncompromised oaks survived the fire. These coast live oaks are on the northwest slopes of Lasky Mesa. January 28, 2025.
With the help of firefighters this new scenic bench survived the fire virtually unscathed. However, something is missing...
Here's the bench a month before the Kenneth fire. The valley oak next to it was lost in the fire.
The sprawling valley oak looked relatively healthy from the trail/road. However, on the back of the tree was a large scar from a previous fire. Its hollow trunk compromised the tree and made it susceptible to fire. January 28, 2025.
This large scar -- possibly from the 2005 Topanga Fire -- and its hollow trunk spelled the demise of this valley oak in the Kenneth Fire. There used to be three valley oaks on the western rim of Lasky Mesa.Now there are none. Photo is from June 21, 2023.
Firefighters saved the Upper Las Virgenes Ranch House and out buildings at Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch). January 28, 2025.
Oaks and grassland on the north-facing slopes between Lasky Mesa and East Las Virgenes Canyon that was burned in the Kenneth Fire. The hills on the far side of the canyon were not burned. February 11, 2025.
Another large valley oak with a hollow trunk that burned in the Kenneth Fire and collapsed. This tree is along Ranch House Road, on the eastern part of Lasky Mesa. January 28, 2025.
A restored section of the East Las Virgenes Canyon Trail/Fireroad, about four weeks after the start of the Kenneth Fire. February 4, 2025.
Information kiosk and benches at the Victory Trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch), following the Kenneth Fire. January 28, 2025.
According to the CAL FIRE Kenneth Fire Incident page, the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Rain following the Kenneth Fire has jump started the growth of new grass and other annuals in the Kenneth Fire Burn Area. The photo is from February 11, 2025.
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