Ronald Reagan’s Ranch Retreat In Danger Of Burning Down
Ronald Reagan's former ranch is currently facing a California wildfire.
This article is more than 2 years old
The former ranch of former President Ronald Reagan is in danger of burning down. Currently, the Alisal Fire has swept through 14,500 acres. That count continues to go up by the hour. The fire is at 5% containment, which is an improvement from the 0% it was at yesterday. There are 1,300 personnel fighting the fire, with more on the way. The fire is approaching Rancho del Cielo, but at last report was still a few miles out. Emergency crews are gaining access to two lakes on the ranch with more than one million gallons of water, which will hopefully help them in the fight. Fire retardant has also been sprayed around the structures on the ranch and its owners have said that everything that can be done has been done. Deadline reported that Congressional allies and other leadership figures are working to offer support and resources. It’s been reported that protecting the ranch will hopefully help contain the spread of the land beyond it.
Rancho Del Cielo is in Santa Barbara County. The latest update from Mike Eliason, the Santa Barbara County Fire public information officer, is that the fire is several miles from Ronald Reagan’s former ranch.
Former President Ronald Reagan’s ranch isn’t the only ranch currently under threat from the fire. The county has also been updating with other ranches currently in danger. Fire fighting professionals are working to provide structure protection and contain the fire to the best of their abilities.
Rancho Del Cielo would be translated to ranch of heaven in English. The California ranch was purchased by Ronald Reagan and his wife in 1974. At the time, his term as the governor was just ending. During his presidency, the property was the family’s vacation home. It was treated as the white house of the west coast. The former President would often invite world leaders to stay at the property when they visited. These events have made the property famous and is often considered a historical place.
In 1998, Ronald Reagan’s property was purchased by the Young America’s Foundation. The group still owns the ranch. The foundation has publicly issued a statement saying, basically, that they’ve done what they can, they’ve reached out for help, and are hoping for the best.
Ronald Reagan was the governor of California in 1967 to 1975. Before that, he was an actor in Hollywood and also a union leader. His terms as president were from 1981 to 1989, and are what he’s most well known for today. The “Western White House” was a big part of his the Reagan family’s life during these very public years. Those in the Santa Barbara county area are aware of it and the ongoing threat it’s under from the Alisal Fire and others in the future as California’s wildfire situation worsens. Currently, Highway 101 is closed as the Alisal Fire continues to grow. It’s impossible to predict how long the fire will burn, especially since it’s only 5% contained at this time.
