In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a motion from the county fire chief to close multiple outdoor recreational areas and hiking trails throughout the wildfire season. This preventive measure aims to reduce the risk of dangerous, human-caused wildfires as the region faces heightened fire danger.
The closure authorization, which the Riverside County Fire Department has requested annually since 2007, applies specifically to parts of the central and southwestern regions of the county from June through November. The decision is driven by the growing threat posed by increasingly dry conditions and excessive vegetation growth.
“Due to the potential for large damaging human-caused fires, the county fire chief has determined these areas should be closed, except on public roadways and on inhabited areas of private property within the closure area,” the fire department said in a statement. They also noted that exceptional vegetation growth this year across the county, though initially fueled by spring storms, has now dried out—creating ideal fuel for wildfires.
Fire Chief Bill Weiser announced plans to begin closures on June 15, with efforts focused on limiting public access to specific remote and hard-to-manage locations. The fire department pointed out that while rainfall was below average last winter, late-season storms in March and April spurred an explosion of vegetation growth. That vegetation has since dried out under rising temperatures, increasing the fire threat significantly.
As a result, the following locations will be temporarily closed:
- Bautista Canyon, southeast of Hemet near the Anza and San Jacinto Valleys
- Eagle Canyon, near Lake Matthews and the county landfill north of Cajalco Road
- Indian Canyon and North Mountain, near San Jacinto
- Ramona Bowl, south of Hemet (open only from sunrise to noon daily)
- Steele Peak, located between Meadowbrook and Good Hope, north of Lake Elsinore
- Whitewater Canyon, near Cabazon
According to officials, Ramona Bowl will have limited access, open to the public only between sunrise and noon, after which it will be off-limits. This limited timeframe is meant to reduce fire risk while still providing limited recreational opportunities in the morning hours.
Fire crews will install closure signage at all entry points to the designated areas. These signs will warn the public about possible fines and penalties for violating the closures. However, residents living in these areas will be permitted to travel through as needed.
By cutting back on foot traffic and off-road vehicle access in these high-risk zones, fire authorities hope to minimize wildfire outbreaks, especially those caused by human activity. The county continues to stress the importance of community cooperation during the high-risk summer and fall months, when even small sparks can lead to devastating consequences.
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