Cold Springs Tavern get fire wrap

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Cold Spring Tavern started looking a bit like a baked potato yesterday afternoon as fire crews wrapped it in a protective fire-resistant material that bears a strong resemblance to aluminum foil.
While there is no imminent threat from the Zaca Fire to the historic tavern located in the San Marcos Pass, fire officials said they wanted to get the wrapping up as a precautionary measure rather than doing it in “panic mode.”

When asked if he is glad that crews are bundling up his building, owner Wayne Wilson didn’t mince words.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I’m happy as heck that they are doing it, I just don’t like the reasons why they have to do it.”
In addition to swathing the structures, crews also set up sprinklers and cleared tons of brush in the surrounding hills, something Wilson said he would have never been able to do alone.
“You don’t have to ask me anything,” Wilson told firefighters. “If you think it’s necessary, do it.”
Wilson and tavern manager John Locke received a briefing about the protective measures on Sunday and firefighters started work Monday morning, slashing away brush and setting up big pools of water to supply the sprinkler system.
“They tell me they have a gel they are going to spray on it as well,” Wilson said.
Yesterday evening, crews worked quickly to unroll long sheets of the reflective material, similar to what firefighters use themselves when they get caught in a fire. As some stapled the material along the rooftops, others closed the gaps with silver tape.
Wilson said several of the buildings date back to 1868, when stagecoach travelers along a newly built trail through the San Marcos Pass needed a place to stop and rest. He pointed out the Road Gang House, used by the Chinese workers building the Pass. Other buildings popped up in the 1930s and 1940s, he said.
While he hopes the protection won’t be necessary, Wilson said if the fire does reach the historic structure, he’s glad there are efforts being made to save it. As he leaned against a wooden fence and watched firefighters spread out a new strip of reflective sheeting, he put it simply: “We love this tavern.”