Fire crews conduct 2-day controlled burn at Riverside County ecological reserve

Susan Liepa/Flickr

Fire crews are conducting a prescribed burn of about 100 acres Thursday and Friday at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

If you’re in the Temecula area, you might see heavy smoke rising from the west. Fire crews are conducting a prescribed burn Thursday and Friday at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

Crews are burning about 100 acres of grassland, so heavy smoke could drift into the Murrieta and Temecula area.

The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve covers about 9,000 acres and is home to dozens of native bird species, mountain lions and other wildlife.

It’s also a popular destination for hikers and horseback riders. But the reserve will remain closed until the burn is completed.

That closure of the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve is in effect through Friday.