Park Fire threatens Lassen Park's Manzanita Lake campground, historic district

Lassen Volcanic National Park staff spent Saturday packing up historic treasures and evacuating the Loomis Museum after fire officials warned the eastern edge of the massive Park Fire is threatening the park's west side.

Firefighters predict the blaze could reach Manzanita Lake and the town of Mineral, areas of the park that didn’t burn in the 2021 Dixie Fire, according to Lassen park spokeswoman Sierra Coon.

The southwest area under threat from the fire contains the park’s historic district and headquarters, including structures built by the California Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

The park's northwest area, also under threat, contains the popular Manzanita Lake campground and historic buildings, including the 97-year-old Loomis Museum.

“Staff are scrambling to save historic artifacts stored in the (museum),” Coon said, including photos of the 1915 Lassen Peak eruption, rock samples of taxidermized animals, Maidu baskets and some other indigenous artifacts.

Among the artifacts evacuated is an antique seismograph, a device used to record ground movement during an earthquake.

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Lassen Volcanic National Park remained closed on Saturday to everyone except evacuees and emergency vehicles traveling on Highway 89.

Visitors are not allowed in the park and staff cancelled current guest reservations, Coon said.

The 963,309-acre Dixie Fire is the largest single fire on Cal Fire's list of biggest fires in recorded history. It's second in size overall to the 2020 August Complex of fires.

The 963,309-acre Dixie Fire started southeast of Lassen Volcanic National Park on July 13, 2021. It burned into the park near Juniper Lake in the southeast end on Aug. 5, destroying 73,240 acres of Lassen park land by Sept. 30, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The Dixie Fire was the largest single fire on Cal Fire's list of biggest fires in recorded history. Most of its damage occurred in the southern and eastern sections of the park, areas not threatened at this time by the Park Fire.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook . Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Park Fire threatens Lassen Park's Manzanita Lake campground, historic district