Paramount Ranch, one of Southern California's most recognizable filming locations, is nearing its return after the Woolsey Fire tore through the Agoura Hills site on Nov. 8, 2018.
The rebuild brings back a treasured piece of California movie history while also showing how public spaces in wildfire-prone regions can be reconstructed to better withstand future disasters.
Here's what to know
Following the 2018 wildfire that wiped out most of its well-known Old West backlot, Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills is close to reopening within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Ventura County Star reported. The rebuild added four structures, including a pavilion, in approximately the same spots as earlier buildings.
After the Woolsey Fire, only a white chapel and a faux train depot remained. Flames moved through willow trees and into the densely arranged backlot, where many buildings made for movie and television shoots lacked the fire-resistant protections commonly required for homes.
A reopening celebration is being planned, according to Jody Lyle, superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. "We are looking to celebrate the reopening of the ranch early next year," Lyle said on Sept. 10. The celebration would coincide with the ranch's centennial year.
The National Park Service has managed the property for more than 40 years, though Paramount Pictures originally owned it in the 1920s. Its filming history includes "The Cisco Kid," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," and HBO's "Westworld."
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More background
Before the 2018 wildfire, the ranch hosted events ranging from weddings to large festivals.
The Woolsey Fire burned nearly 150 square miles across Ventura and Los Angeles counties, killing three people and destroying hundreds of homes, the Ventura County Star reported. About 88% of the federal parkland in the Santa Monica Mountains was inside the burn area.
The fire also destroyed remnants of Paramount Ranch's earliest filmmaking past. Prop sheds and other studio-era structures had remained beneath later sets and served as part of their underlying framework until the blaze erased them.
What's being done?
The overall project carries a price tag of about $25 million and includes work at Paramount Ranch and Rocky Oaks in Malibu, another location damaged in the same fire.
Crews began framing the replacement buildings in 2024. The new structures were designed to look like the originals while complying with current code and adding fire-resistant elements such as metal roofs, specialized siding, sprinklers, and other protective measures.
When the work is finished, the rebuilt central buildings are expected to support temporary additions for different productions, allowing the ranch to host more than a western-town setting again. The park service also plans to install final visitor features after construction, including picnic tables and trash cans.
For much of the years-long construction period, Paramount Ranch and its trail systems stayed open, with closures limited to active work areas. That meant visitors could continue using the surrounding landscape while the historic center was rebuilt.
Where can I learn more?
Paramount Ranch's recovery after the Woolsey Fire is part of a wider California effort to rebuild with future fires in mind. Here are a few examples of how communities are clearing vegetation, approaching reconstruction, and dealing with the lingering effects wildfires can leave behind.
• In Malibu, 400 goats and 100 sheep are clearing 70 acres of wildfire fuel.
• Across California, goats and sheep wipe out a thorny weed while cutting wildfire fuel.
• In Talent, Oregon, residents built back greener after a devastating wildfire destroyed homes.
• After California's Park Fire, the threat expected to linger includes contamination risks to drinking water supplies.
They offer a clearer picture of what it takes to bring places like Paramount Ranch back safely. Reopening a landmark is one step; reducing the damage from the next fire is just as important.
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