Summer Heat Will Not Delay Partial Trail Closure, Officials Say

A group of dedicated hikers of the Bump and Grind Trail plan to closely monitor the construction of a gate that will close off the last half mile of the trail.

Under the direction of the Riverside County Fire Department, inmate firefighters will install the gate next week as part of an effort by the California Department of Fish and Game to .

“We have about five people who are going to check to make sure DFG is adhering to the CalOsha requirements,’’ said Blaine Carian, a regular user of the trail who has led to keep the entire trail open.

The state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health requires employers – including the fire department – to prevent heat illness. (See the full list of requirements here.)

This week's high reached 114 degrees in some parts of the Coachella Valley, with triple digit temperatures expected well into next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Riverside County Fire Captain Mike Smith said the department is well aware of the requirements.

“This construction is nothing new for the inmates. We conduct construction projects and conservation projects day in and day out,’’ Smith told Patch.

He said that inmate firefighters go through a training program that acclimates them to working in warmer temperatures.

“We’ll be constructing this in the cooler morning hours,’’ he said, adding that in order to provide shade and cooling, the department will alternate work periods.

“Some will work, while others will be confined to a vehicle that has air conditioning,’’ Smith said.

The inmates will be given drinks, including water and Gatorade, he said.

Andrew Hughan, a DFG spokesman, said hikers will be cleared out from the top of the trail on the day of the gate installation, which has not been released.

“They can observe all they want,’’ Hughan said. “It’s OK with us.”

He said that the public will be allowed to view the construction from a “safe area.”

“It’s going to be a fairly contained scene,’’ Hughan said.