A temporary closure in Whitewater Canyon down the hill in Riverside County starts this Saturday, June 1st and stays in effect until October 31st. The BLM says its due to high fire danger in the canyon – a mixture of dry grasses from this winter’s rains and only one road in and out of the canyon, which would make a wildfire evacuation extremely difficult.
According to the BLM’s Palm Springs South Coast Field office – only about 4000 of the 1.7 million acres of the public lands they manage will be affected. They will be posting a copy of the fire order and a map at the Whitewater Canyon entrance.
You can also find the map below and as a PDF download on BLM’s website.
The BLM reminds everyone that its illegal to enter public lands under a fire closure, and can be punished with fines of $100,000, up to 12 months in jail – or both.
On the other side of the highway from Whitewater Canyon, a brush fire burned across ten acres near Desert Hot Springs on Tuesday (May 28) The fire led to the closure of the highway briefly near Pierson Blvd, and was under control by 6 p.m.
