Controlled Burn Planned Near Hemet

A controlled burn is planned on a 112-acre plot near Lake Skinner, where smoke is expected to be visible rising from the area.

The Riverside County Fire Department is scheduled to burn brush in the Southwest Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve, west of Crown Valley and De Portola roads between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., according to Battalion Chief Bill Weiser.

Smoke may be visible from the adjacent Lake Skinner Recreation Area, Diamond Valley Lake and south Hemet.

“This is part of a pre-fire plan to keep a major fire from moving into the reserve and to provide safe emergency egress for citizens and ingress for firefighting equipment,” Weiser said. “In addition, the fuel-modified zone will better enable the fire department to keep fires that might start in the reserve from moving into the surrounding communities.”

Additional prescribed burns are planned in the coming weeks, fire officials said.