Juan Carlo / Star staff David Schwabauer replanted rows of lemon trees a few months ago after losing about 3,000 lemon and up to 6,000 avocado trees to the Shekell fire.

A row of about 300 charred eucalyptus trees contrasts with the swath of 3-foot lemon saplings, planted over the summer.

In the middle stands David Schwabauer, a fourth-generation farmer who manages this 700-acre avocado and lemon ranch north of Moorpark.

The Leavens Ranch was hit hard by the Shekell fire, with 5,000 to 6,000 of Schwabauer's avocado trees damaged and up to 3,000 lemon trees.

"To see something your family worked on for decades gone so quickly, to lose so much of your crop. It's too depressing," he said, looking down the dirt road that draws a distinct line between recovery and destruction.

The smell of burned trees to the right mixes with the sweeter citrus scent on the left.

Ever since he fought the Shekell fire with about 25 of his farmworkers, Schwabauer operates in somewhat of a daze, he said.

"This was probably one of the most destructive fires we've ever had," he said.

In addition to coordinating harvests, he must remove the hundreds of looming eucalyptus trees. Originally planted to protect orchards in the Moorpark area from the strong Santa Ana winds, now they are seen as kindling for a fire, more dangerous to crops than the wind.

Because of the fire hazard, no windbreaks will be replanted, he said.

He's been able to borrow money to pay for crop recovery. The cost of removing just a handful of eucalyptus trees is about $10,000. He's also spent about $80,000 to replant his orchards.

"I've just been writing checks," he said.

The fire also tore through hundreds of years of Moorpark history in the area of the farm where Charlie Schwabauer, David's father, lives. More than 400 historical items stored in a trailer were destroyed, including vintage clothes, extensive newspaper clippings, historical photos, kitchen utensils, garden tools and handwritten letters.

The contents of the trailer, meticulously catalogued for decades, were supposed to be the starter collection of a Moorpark historical museum. Local historians are trying to rebuild the collection.

David Schwabauer's great-grandfather started the Moorpark ranch in the early part of the century. No stranger to harsh elements, his family has seen strong winds knock down trees, and fires are prone to rip through the edge of their lands. A fire in 2003 also destroyed thousands of trees. Schwabauer replanted, only to have the Shekell fire come roaring through last year.

"It's a haunting feeling to see it repeated, twice in three years," Schwabauer said.