Riverside County Fire Department Suspends Residential Open Burn Permits

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Open burning of material will be banned in Riverside
County as of Friday, the fire chief announced today.
  

``Warming temperatures and strong winds are rapidly drying out the
annual grasses and vegetation throughout Riverside County, which creates a
dense layer of dry fuel, significantly increasing the risk of wildfires,''
according to a statement from the Riverside County Fire Department.
  

As a result, all permits for outdoor residential burning in areas of
the county controlled by Cal Fire will be suspended effective Friday, according
to the news release.
  

``This suspension is a necessary step to help prevent wildfires and
protect lives,'' the department said.
  

The suspension effectively bans all residential outdoor burning of
landscape debris, but agricultural burning in the Palo Verde and Coachella
valleys will be allowed ``as required for agricultural rehabilitation.''
  

Authorities said the length of the suspension will be at the
discretion of the fire chief and will depend on meteorological and other
considerations.
  

The announcement comes one day after the Riverside County Board of
Supervisors authorized Fire Chief Geoff Pemberton to close access to multiple
outdoor recreational locations for the duration of Southern California's
wildfire season to minimize public safety risks.
  

Sites falling under the closure order are:
   -- Bautista Canyon, southeast of Hemet;
   -- Eagle Canyon, between Lake Mathews and the county landfill, just
north of Cajalco Road;
   -- Indian Canyon and North Mountain, around San Jacinto;
   -- the Ramona Bowl, south of Hemet; and
   -- Steel Peek, northwest of Meadowbrook, due west of Good Hope and
south of Gavilan Hills.
  

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