Silver Fire Aftermath: Highway 243 Expected to Open This Weekend

Update 6:35 p.m. More than a dozen state law enforcement officers with the Department of Insurance Fraud Division fanned out Tuesday in Twin Pines and Poppet Flats to warn Silver Fire victims of scam artists who prey on disaster survivors.

"We're out here trying to protect consumers from getting ripped off a second time," Detective Sgt. Greg Huff of the Fraud Division said before noon Aug. 13 in Poppet Flats. "If they got damage from fires, they're being victimized then, and we don't them to become victimized again."

Details here:

VIDEO: State Law Enforcement Officers Warn Silver Fire Victims of Insurance Scams

Update 4 p.m.:  State Route 243 between Banning and Poppet Flats is expected to reopen to the public this weekend, state transportation department officials said Tuesday afternoon.

According to a Caltrans representative, the highway is estimated to open by Saturday, August 17.

"A subcontractor will begin repairing the metal beam guardrail tomorrow, Wednesday, August 14, 2013 and will be working twelve hours shifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.," said Joy Sepuveda in an emailed statement.

The construction firm awarded the $1.2 million emergency repair contract assessed the roadway Tuesday, she said.  Among the things that need to be fixed are guardrails and reflective markers.

"The full closure from Twin Pines Ranch to Wesley Street will remain in effect until the guardrail is completed," she said.



Original story posted August 13 at 11 a.m.:

Now that the Silver Fire is 100-percent contained, recovery efforts are in full swing.

One of the primary objectives for county officials is the clean-up and repair of Highway 243, which remains closed between Banning and Poppet Flats due to damage sustained as the Silver Fire ripped through the area beginning August 7.

Caltrans announced Tuesday morning that a million-dollar emergency project was awarded to a Citrus Heights construction firm, Griffith Construction, to being the repairs.

"The $1.2 million dollar contract will include repairing and replacing metal beam guardrail and reflective markers," Caltrans Spokeswoman Joy Sepulveda said in an emailed release Tuesday.

Guardrail and signs have been damaged on stretches of the 243 between Banning and Twin Pines, and on another stretch between Twin Pines and Poppet Flats, Sepulveda told Patch Monday.

"As the contractor will be making construction assessments this morning, an estimated opening for SR-243 has not yet been determined," she added Tuesday.

The Riverside County Fire Department announced Monday night the 20,292 Silver Fire was fully contained, six days into its start.

According to the agency, costs associated with firefighting efforts is now just under $10 million, at $9,999,000.

Tuesday's firefighting assignment consisted of more than 150 firefighters with the following resources: 9 handcrews, 3 engines, 2 bulldozers, 1 water tender and 2 helicopters.   At the peak of the fire, there were more than 2,100 firefighting personnel assigned to the blaze, according to Riverside County Fire Department Spokeswoman Melody Hendrickson.  

More on the Silver Fire from Banning-Beaumont Patch:


Silver Fire Update: Caltrans Says No Timetable for Opening 243, Estimated Road Repair Costs $1.3M, Escorts Possible by Tuesday

SILVER FIRE UPDATE: Demobilization Begins as Costs Rise to More than $8.8 Million
SILVER FIRE UPDATE: Burn Area is 19,000 Acres, 70 Percent Contained, 11 Injured

Updated Interactive Map of Silver Fire Burn Area by Esri of Redlands

SILVER FIRE HELP: Victim Resources for Debris Clean-Up, Assistance Contacts

SILVER FIRE RECOVERY: In Devastated Poppet Flats Neighborhood, Pig Survives Blaze and Neighbors Pull Together

SILVER FIRE: How You Can Help Fire Victims With Clothing, Monetary Donations

SILVER FIRE UPDATE: Evacs Lifted in Some Communities, Fire Estimated at 17,500 Acres

SILVER FIRE BURN VICTIM: Man Was Found on Old Banning-Idyllwild Road

SILVER FIRE VIDEO: Poppet Flats Resident Returns to Home Burned to Ground

SILVER FIRE MAP: Interactive Public Info by Esri of Redlands

VIDEO: As Silver Fire Advances Evacuee Says 'We Decided to Leave on Our Own'

Inside the Silver Fire: Photos From Evacuated Areas in San Jacinto Mountains

Beaumont Unified School District Employee Loses Everything in Silver Fire

Silver Fire Evacuation Center, Fire Camp Set Up in Beaumont

Video, Pics: Silver Fire South of Banning

SILVER FIRE UPDATE: 26 Homes Destroyed, 6 Injuries to Date