Trails Closed Due To Fire Hazard

[magikwalt]

From the Desert Sun:

7 rural hiking trails closed due to hazardous fire conditions

Desert Sun staff reports

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the closure of seven rural hiking areas throughout the region at the request of Riverside County Fire Chief John R. Hawkins.

The following areas are closed due to hazardous fire conditions until further notice:

-- Avery Canyon, (Gibbel Road east of State Street in Hemet)
-- North Mountain and Indian Canyon (San Jacinto area)
-- Whitewater Canyon (Cabazon, north of Palm Springs)
-- Nuevo/Lakeview (east of Menifee Road and San Jacinto Avenue)
-- Minto (Sage)
-- Reinhardt Canyon (north of Highway 74 and California Avenue in Hemet)
--Ramona Bowl and Bautista Canyon (southeast Hemet)

Riverside County Ordinance 787.4 restricts public access to targeted hazardous fire areas. Access to Private property within these hazardous fire closure areas is permissible. Public roadway travel is permitted, providing travel is confined to those roadway surfaces within hazardous fire closure areas. Those violating the Ordinance may be subject to a minimum fine of $100 for first-time offenses.

The extreme fire hazard that exists in these hiking areas puts the public at great risk. Appropriate and timely action is being taken to prevent public access to these hiking areas by closing these hazardous fire areas. It is our goal to protect the public by decreasing the potential for devastating fires to start in Riverside County, said Fire Chief John R. Hawkins.

During times of extreme fire hazard, Chief Hawkins will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to protect the public from wildfire threats. Future closures may be enacted based on weather conditions and wildfire threat. For additional information on the closed areas to the public, please contact the Public Affairs, Information and Education Bureau at (951) 940-6985.

[kd]

Bummer,

When the days finally get long enough to run after work, snakes and the Fire Department shut it down.

[Rumpled]

We are nearing the time of permament fire closures. Every type of weather year calls for someone to close of areas that IMHO should not be closed.
Wet year = too much growth, close it
Dry year = too dry, close it

[AlanK]

We are nearing the time of permament fire closures. Every type of weather year calls for someone to close of areas that IMHO should not be closed.
Wet year = too much growth, close it
Dry year = too dry, close it

As far as I can tell, just about every closure in the past 10 years has come after extensive fires. The argument for closing centers around strained firefighting resources. there have been both wet and dry years without closures because the fires were manageable. I don't particularly like the closures either, but the motivation is at least understandable.