Officials with San Bernardino National Forest announced Friday a forest order creating the Cranston Fire Closure Area. The order temporarily closes all U.S. Forest Service lands within both the San Jacinto Ranger District and Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The closure is due to hazards presented by the Cranston Fire, as well as the nearby Ribbon Fire, and the forest's decreased ability to respond to other emergencies.
The order prohibits going into or being upon National Forest System lands, trails and roads. It goes into effect on Saturday, July 28, 2018, and lasts 30 days, but its length and footprint may be adjusted as conditions change.
The district and national monument on the San Bernardino National Forest include over 200,000 acres of Forest Service-managed land, covering major portions of the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains. Private land, such as communities and Indian reservations, within are not closed by this order, however, many remain under mandatory evacuation.
The Cranston Fire is currently at 13,118 acres with 17% containment and the Ribbon Fire is at 200 acres with 45% containment. More than 1,500 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, Riverside County Fire and other cooperating agencies are working on both fires.