Several areas within Riverside County have been closed to public access because of high potential fire danger. At its May 17 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved County Fire Chief Bill Weiser’s recommendation to close six areas — North Mountain and Indian Canyon, Whitewater Canyon, Ramona Bowl (open daily from sunrise to noon), Bautista Canyon, Steel Peak and the Eagle Canyon/Tin Mine Area.

The closures were effective May 23 and will continue until Weiser believes it is safe to reopen them to public use.

Following two years of drought and the likely beginning of a third year, the potential for damaging and human-caused fires is very high. These areas are particularly vulnerable and were closed during the 2021 summer also.

Weiser recommended their closure except for public roadways and private property within these areas that is inhabited.

While Idyllwild and Pine Cove and other Hill communities are surrounded or adjacent to U.S. Forest Service land, the North Mountain, Indian and Bautista canyon areas are very close to Hill communities to the west and south.

As the threat of wildfires continues and even grows, Cal Fire’s recent announcement is a step toward helping to reduce this danger. In a May 3 press release, Cal Fire revealed the establishment of a Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Division within the office of the State Fire Marshal.

In April, Cal Fire Director Joe Tyler appointed Chief Daniel Berlant as deputy director of the new division. Previously, Berlant led the department’s Wildfire Planning and Engineering Program.

This division consolidates existing department programs, including defensible space, wildland building codes and home hardening, pre-fire planning, fire hazard severity zones, land use planning, wildfire prevention grants and utility wildfire mitigation.

“As California continues to experience more severe and damaging wildfires, our wildfire strategy must include preparing our homes and communities to be more resistant to the effects of wildfire,” said Berlant.