Over the Fourth of July weekend, the city of Rancho Cucamonga closed down its North Etiwanda Preserve until the following Monday. The closure was first announced on June 28th by officials of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District. The officials cited that the nature preserve would be shut down “due to dangerous fire conditions and extremely low vegetation fuel moisture throughout the region.” This will be the second consecutive year that Rancho Cucamonga has closed the preserve over the Fourth of July weekend.
The policy of shutting down the North Etiwanda Preserve began last year in response to a fire that raged in the preserve last year and consumed 2,143 acres and destroyed one structure. Investigators went on to discover that an illegal campfire was a cause of the fire damage. Officials instituted the preserve closure when they discovered that it was a popular venue for campers and fireworks watchers over that particular weekend.
“The concern is mainly with the number of people that have been in the preserve during the evening of the Fourth of July in previous years,” Rancho Cucamonga Fire Marshal Robert Ball explained. “The preserve is technically closed at dusk every evening, but the preserve provides an attractive vantage point from which to observe fireworks shows in the valley.”
What You Can Learn
Fire damage risk and wildfires are a part of everyday reality in Rancho Cucamonga. It’s vitally important to prepare yourself so that you, your family, and your property are protected should disaster strike:
- Make sure that every room in your household has a fire alarm with good batteries
- Make sure that your household has a fire extinguisher readily accessible.
- Keep the area around your home free of dry brush
- Establish an evacuation plan with your family
- Make sure that your home is covered for fire damage by your insurance.
- Make sure you know the reporting procedure for your insurance company.
- Let a fire restoration service handle the rest.
Will you be able to prevent the next big wildfire that threatens Rancho Cucamonga? Probably not, but you can keep you and your family safe for when it happens. By taking these relatively simple steps and following them through, you can ensure that you, your family, and your property are given the best defense against wildfire and fire damage you can get.