From the US Forest Service:
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Officials with San Bernardino National Forest today announced a forest ordercreating the Valley Fire Closure Area. The order, effective Saturday, July 14, 2018, temporarily closes a portion of the San Gorgonio Wilderness to all entry due to hazards presented by the Valley Firenear Forest Falls, CA. The order will last until the fire is declared out or until officials re-evaluate conditions and make modifications.
The closure area includes trails, such as Vivian Creek, Momyer, San Bernardino Peak, Forsee Creek, South Fork and Aspen Grove. It does not affect areas outside the wilderness, such as the Big Falls Trail and the Falls Picnic Area. A map of the closure area is available online.
Nearly 650 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE, San Bernardino County Fire and other cooperating agencies worked to slow the fire’s spread over the last week, however extremely steep terrain and difficult access have prevented crews from achieving full containment. There are currently 472 personnel assigned to the incident.
Residents and visitors to the area will continue to see smoke for the coming weeks.
Hikers with questions about the closure can call the Mill Creek Visitor Center at 909-382-2882, Thursdays through Mondays. To keep updated on the Valley Fire, check InciWeb, the forest Twitter account and the Valley Fire Updates Facebook group.
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year.