$10.2M Budget Approved To Rehabilitate Riverside County Nature Preserve Ravaged By Wildfire

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Riverside County Board of Supervisors Tuesday signed off on a roughly $10.2 million budget for a series of projects to restore a fire-damaged preserve fronting the Santa Ana River bottom, where a pre-summer blaze burned over 1,000 acres.

In a 5-0 vote without comment Tuesday, the board authorized the Regional Parks & Open Space District to make the required allocations from its internal accounts — not the General Fund — for the Hidden Valley Wildlife Area Bain Fire Remediation & Restoration Project.

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No official sunset date or timeline was published for the project, which is part of an ongoing phased reopening of the entire nature preserve, located in the 11400 block of Arlington Avenue in Jurupa Valley.

According to documents posted to the board's agenda, plans are afoot to purchase kids' playground equipment to replace what was ruined by the May 2026 Bain Fire, as well as repair or replace several structures and mitigate other damage within the 1,500-acre space.

"The immediate project is (for) emergency safeguard repairs to provide proper safety signage, fencing, trail paths and stable hillsides ... in addition to preparing design documents for future restoration of the Nature Education Area," according to RivCoParks. "Restoration of the Nature Education Area (will) include detailed planning efforts for trails, bridges outdoor classrooms and shade structures. It will be restored over a longer period of time."

About a month after the Bain Fire, county crews, with extensive assistance from community volunteers, completed repairs to the Hidden Valley Nature Center, enabling RivCoParks to reopen it. One trail system available to bicyclists and hikers along the Santa Ana River Trail was also cleared of fire- related debris and obstructions and has been open since the end of June.

However, other terrain locations have been deemed unsafe pending restoration efforts.

Over a roughly three-day period beginning May 19, the Bain Fire burned through heavy vegetation around the Santa Ana River bottom, spreading across the Hidden Valley preserve. The blaze's forward progress was stopped on May 22, but it was not declared 100% contained until two days later. A total 1,473 acres were charred.

An official determination regarding what led to the wildfire has not been released. The Santa Ana River bottom is replete with homeless encampments, and cooking, debris and warming fires are a threat year-round.