The drought, now in its fourth year, is creating severe and dangerous threats to the Hill’s native trees — pines and oaks. But other dangers also are threatening the local forest. Residents are familiar with the damage bark beetles bring, especially during droughts. The bark beetle is actually a native pest, but during droughts when…
The U.S. forest Service was conducting pile burning along the West Ridge Fuelbreak Thursday, taking advantage of favorable weather conditions. The “Burn Boss” was Brett Pascale of the Vista Grande Hotshots, according to San Jacinto Ranger District Fire Chief Dan Felix.
Cal Fire still is not talking about the origin and cause of the 2013 Mountain Fire that burned more than 27,000 acres, destroyed three single-family residences, three mobile homes, 12 outbuildings, two RVs and nine other vehicles, and it resulted in thousands evacuating their homes. It has been more than a year since Cal Fire…
The California Highway Patrol mounted a coordinated aerial and patrol car surveillance of Highways 243 and 74, targeting motorcyclists last weekend. The operation was in response to a recent uptick in serious injury and fatality motorcycle collisions on mountain roadways. Coordinating the operation on Sunday was CHP Lt. Brian Gonzalez from the San Gorgonio Pass…
Spring brings transformation and it will be apparent at the local U.S. Forest Service ranger district when Fire Management Officer Dan Felix retires at the end of the month and Battalion Chief Fred Espinoza steps up to replace him. Felix is a badger, from Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin, before coming to Southern California. Along the…
For the fifth consecutive year, the Idyllwild Town Crier is requesting nominations for the annual Ernie Maxwell Community Spirit Award. Bring your nomination to the Town Crier office at 54405 N. Circle Dr., mail it to P.O. Box 157, Idyllwild, CA 92549, or send by email to becky@towncrier.com by May 15. The honor is given…
Fire log The Idyllwild Fire Station did not report its responses for last week. Sheriff’s log The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Hemet Station responded to the following calls, Sunday to Saturday, April 12 to April 18. Idyllwild • April 12 — Suicide threat, address withheld. Report taken. • April 12 — Vandalism, Ridgeview Dr….
“If [the Goldspotted oak borer problem] doesn’t get taken care of, it will devastate the oaks on the Hill,” said Chris Kramer, president of the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council, as he opened the community meeting Saturday at the Nature Center. The MCFSC invited experts from the University of California, Riverside, Cal Fire and the…
A head-on collision at about 6:50 p.m. Saturday, April 18, resulted in a fatality that closed Highway 74 in both directions near Bull Canyon Road (40 feet west of mile marker 73.75) to just above Palm Desert. The closure lasted until 11:01 p.m. according to California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Darren Meyer. Teresa Gonzalez,…
Idyllwild Water District remains in Stage 2 water emergency, General Manager Tom Lynch told the directors during the April 15 meeting. But IWD is hovering very close to its trigger points for moving to Stage 3 status. While the groundwater level of the downtown wells is at the criterion of 20-foot depth, the depth of…
