St. Vincent de Paul Circle V Ranch Camp Director Ray Lopez, Rotarian, with his special guest U.S. Forest Service Technician David Dahlberg, were featured speakers at the Los Olivos Rotary Club meeting on February 15, 2018. Lopez and Dahlberg shared their very personal experiences of the Whittier wildfire that burned through the Camp on July 8, 2017. Dahlberg’s U.S. Forest Service Patrol 37 vehicle was the first of the first responders to arrive at Camp to help coordinate the intense firefighting and safety efforts with other firefighters, staff, and volunteers. All 88 campers and 36 staff members in residence at the time were safely evacuated. Recently, Dahlberg was honored for his heroism at Circle V Ranch Camp during the 2018 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
During the Whittier wildfire, Circle V Ranch Camp’s Craft Lodge and Health Lodge burned to the ground, and the water treatment facility and pipes were seriously damaged requiring months of repairs. With no water, all remaining 2017 summer camp sessions were canceled for 1,000 campers and group retreat rentals were canceled until further notice. Circle V is in the process of rebuilding; donations are needed and welcomed at https://svdpla.org/donate/rebuild-camp/
