Preparation of a new San Jacinto Mountains Community Wildfire Protection Plan has begun. To prepare an update to the 2006 plan, the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council has received a $55,000 grant from the California Fire Safe Council, which received the funding from the U.S. Forest Service. Dave Kehrlein, ESRI of Redlands, presented the steps…
Last Friday, Cal Fire announced suspension of all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State and Local Responsibility Areas of Riverside Countym which includes the Hill area. The suspension took effect Monday, June 13, and bans all residential outdoor burning of tumbleweeds. “Riverside County is no stranger to devastating wildland fires. As we…
The Riverside County Department of Waste Resources will make good, reusable household products available for free to residents through the new sustainable Materials Reuse Program. Many products collected through the Household Hazardous Waste Collection program are in good or unused condition, and can be reused instead of processed for disposal. Residents can take home partially…
Fire log The Idyllwild Fire Station did not report responses for last week. Sheriff’s log The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Hemet Station responded to the following calls Sunday to Sunday, June 5 to 12. Idyllwild • June 5 — Animal abuse, address undefined. Handled by deputy. • June 5 — Alarm call, 54000 block of…
Water supply for the Pine Cove Water District is satisfactory and unthreatened, according to General Manager Jerry Holldber, who gave his annual water report at the board meeting Wednesday, June 8. “We’ll stay in Stage 2 [emergency water restrictions] but still apply Stage 1 rates to customers,” he announced. “Moisture is almost normal … and…
As a result of a case-management conference hearing on Monday, June 13, Judge Daniel A. Ottolia ordered Cal Fire’s lawsuit against Tarek M.A. Al-Shawaf and James and Donna Nowlin to be the lead 2013 Mountain Fire case, with lawsuits brought by locals Lon and Susan Paul, Martin Prevosto, Alisia Fisher, Doug McKeller, MTS&L Inc., Lawrence…
The Mountain Emergency Services Committee meets monthly in Idyllwild to discuss emergency preparedness on the Hill. Meetings are open to the public and Jerry Hagen, District 3 emergency services coordinator, brings in speakers to discuss topics of interest to the general public, as well as attending local volunteer disaster-aid groups. At the Thursday morning, June…
The board of the new Idyllwild San Jacinto Regional Fire Authority held its first meeting Thursday evening, June 9. Earlier in the week, both agencies agreed to create the Joint Powers Authority and explore its operation. The board is composed of the five-member San Jacinto City Council and the five-member Idyllwild Fire Protection District Commission….
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake occurred about 1:05 a.m. Friday, 13 miles north of Borrego Springs and 18 miles south of Palm Desert. The quake was easily felt on the Hill. A 3.5-magnitude quake in the same area followed about 1:33 a.m. While no damage has been reported, houses in Idyllwild shook for several seconds during the…
An information arraignment for Frank Gutierrez, 66, of Idyllwild, who was arrested in July 2015, is scheduled for Friday, June 24. At a preliminary hearing on Friday, June 10, the District Attorney’s Office amended two charges — possession of a controlled substance and possession of more than 28.5 grams of marijuana — reducing them to…
