SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — Two popular hiking trails in Cleveland National Forest near San Diego will be closed through the weekend due to extreme heat.
Starting Friday, Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls trails will be closed to hikers by the U.S. Forest Service, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office. The closure will run through Monday, Sept. 11.
This comes as the National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for San Diego County’s desert areas, including Borrego Springs, Ocotillo Wells and El Centro.
The warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. Saturday to 8 p.m. Sunday. According to NWS, “dangerously hot” conditions are expected to set in for areas under the warning during this time with temperatures forecast to peak around 106 to 112 degrees.
Both the Cedar Creek Falls and Three Sisters Falls trails have been closed by the Forest Service for several prolonged periods this summer due to heat warnings and advisories. However, there have still been multiple notable deaths on San Diego County trails.
In June, two hikers, a 28-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman, were killed at Three Sisters Falls trail after drowning in the water at the bottom of the waterfall.
A 24-year-old mountain biker in Jacumba died while trying to help four hikers suffering from dehydration a few weeks later in July. Later that month, an 81-year-old man was also found dead one mile into a Rancho Bernardo hike, where authorities believed extreme heat played a factor.
In early August, a 34-year-old man was found dead on one of the hiking trails on El Cajon Mountain. The hiker was found on Aug. 1, about a day after he was initially reported missing by loved ones.
Local health officials urge that people are cognizant of the signs of heatstroke or exhaustion, including having a body temperature of 103 degrees or higher, dizziness, nausea, confusion and headache. If you’re suffering these symptoms, call 9-1-1 and try to get cooled off immediately.
For those in areas under the warning, NWS urges residents to drink plenty of fluids, check up on relatives, avoid strenuous activities, stay out of the sun and in air-conditioned rooms when possible.
