Riverside County Fire Chief Closes Hazardous Fire Danger Hiking Areas

PERRIS, CA – CAL FIRE/ Riverside County Fire Chief Bill Weiser received approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to immediately close six hazardous hiking areas throughout the region effective Thursday, June 1st, 2023. The closures will remain in effect until further notice in the following areas:

• Eagle Canyon/Tin Mine (east of Corona)
• Steel Peak (north of Lake Elsinore)
• Bautista Canyon (southeast of Hemet)
• North Mountain (south of Banning, north of San Jacinto)
• Whitewater Canyon (east of Cabazon)
• Ramona Bowl (south of Hemet) *Open daily from sunrise until 12:00 P.M.

"Riverside County experienced heavier rain than usual this year, which has led to a larger grass crop. This creates a greater chance of large, damaging wildfires. I urge all residents and visitors to be fire smart and use caution when enjoying our beautiful outdoor recreation areas. Your diligence and vigilance helps keep our communities and firefighters safe." - Bill Weiser, CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department Chief

Riverside County Ordinance 787.9 restricts public access to these identified hazardous fire areas unless private party access is required. Public roadway travel is permitted; providing travel is confined to those surfaces within hazardous fire areas. Those violating the ordinance may be subject to a minimum fine of $100 for first-time offenses.

Future closures may be implemented based upon weather conditions, fuel moisture and increased fire threat. Maps for each of the affected areas can be located at https://tinyurl.com/hikingclosures

For additional information on the closed areas to the public, please contact the Public Affairs and Community Education Bureau at 951-940-6985.

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