Crime & Safety

Evacuation Orders Remain In Effect On Mountain Fire

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The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is warning Thursday evening that evacuation orders have not been lifted in communities affected by the Mountain fire, and residents should not attempt to return to their homes until the all-clear has been issued.

We would like to remind the citizens to please stay out of the area so the roads remain clear for our fire personnel,” said Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lisa McConnell.

The following communities are currently under evacuation order per the U.S. Forest Service: Idyllwild, Fern Valley, Bonita Vista, Pine Springs, the Zen Mountain Center off of Apple Canyon Road, and Trails End at the North end of Morris Ranch Road.

Camp Ronald McDonald and Camp Joe Sherman have been voluntarily evacuated due to health concerns related to air quality.

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The San Jacinto State Park Wilderness, Forest Service Wilderness and Forest Service Campgrounds have also been evacuated.

McConnell said a rumor indicating areas have reopened is completely false.

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Another rumor the sergeant squashed Thursday afternoon was about camps in the area that were allegedly slow to evacuate.

Quite the contrary, McConnell reported.

All the camps were evacuated before we gave the evacuation order. In fact, most of the residents had already left when our deputies started knocking on doors,” she said.

As part of the evacuation, residents and motorists are advised that as of Thursday evening road closures are still in place due to the fire.

“Highway 243 is under a soft closure from Banning South to Mountain Center; Highway 74 is under a soft closure from the Cranston Fire Station near Valle Vista east to the junction with Highway 371,” the U.S.F.S. reported.



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