Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department will be conducting scheduled prescribed burns on Wednesday, June 11, and Thursday, June 12, as part of a collaborative vegetation management effort.
On June 11, in cooperation with California State Parks, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department will be conducting a vegetation management prescribed burn at Lake Perris.
On June 12, in cooperation with Riverside County Habitat Conservation Agency and Metropolitan Water District, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department will be conducting a vegetation management prescribed burn at Lake Mathews.
The primary goal of these burns is to rehabilitate the burrowing owl and Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat habitat through the eradication of invasive, non-native grasses and weed species, allowing mammal species to find food and make homes.
These efforts are part of an ongoing interagency collaboration. Thanks to a series of successful prescribed burns in previous years, the Stephens’ Kangaroo Rat has been down-listed from “endangered” to “threatened.”
Drift smoke may be visible from nearby communities but will disperse quickly and is not expected to be a health hazard. Burning operations typically begin after 6 a.m. and conclude by 1:00 p.m. the same day. The burning operation will only occur on permissive burn days, as determined by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
