Fire restrictions lowered on the San Bernardino National Forest

By U.S. Forest Service
Contributed

Fire restrictions were lowered last week on the San Bernardino National Forest. Recent winter storm activity, cooler temperatures and a significant decrease in recent wildfire activity contributed to the decision.
Officials, however, urge continued vigilance when partaking in any activity that could spark a fire.
“California is always in fire season, as the saying goes,” said Deputy Chief Scott Howes. “The risk may be considerably lower, but it’s still there.”
The new local fire restrictions can be viewed online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/learning/safety-ethics/?cid=FSBDEV7_007776 (The link also includes fire-related prohibitions that are in effect on all National Forests in the country).
Forest officials do caution the public that some closures may limit activities that fire restrictions no longer prohibit, such as campfires/picnic area grilling and target shooting:
• Camping: Campgrounds and yellow post sites remain closed to provide consistent COVID-19 mitigation response in accordance with California’s Stay-at-Home Orders.
• Picnic areas: Some picnic areas are closed for a variety of reasons, including the winter season or being near a wildfire burn area with a debris flow risk.
• Recreational target shooting areas:
• Access to the Bee Canyon recreational target shootingarea near Hemet is closed due to road construction. The road is anticipated to open Friday, Jan. 15, 2021.
• Vehicle access to the Lightning Gulch recreational target shooting sites in Barton Flats is closed due to a seasonal winter road closure.
Visitors should “know before they go” and check with the Forest website or call a ranger station to check the status of a recreation site or area.
Violations of fire restrictions are punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, according to the fire restrictions Forest Order, which is the legal document that enacts the restrictions.

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