A wild burro grazes at Islander Park as snow-capped mountains tower in the distance following the recent winter storm. (Rosemary Neal) Have a photo that captures the spirit of Riverside? Share it with us and help celebrate the beauty of our community!
Wednesday Gazette: February 25, 2026
Hello Riverside, and Happy Wednesday! Today is the first-ever Raincross Day, and we think that calls for a little celebration. The holiday marks the date Frank Miller's design patent for the Raincross symbol was issued, and tonight the Mission Inn Foundation and Museum is kicking things off with a free community reception from 6 to 8 p.m. at 3598 Main St. The evening also marks the opening of a new exhibit exploring 150 years of the Glenwood Mission Inn and 50 years of the Foundation. Stop by, meet your neighbors, and help write the first chapter of what we hope becomes a beloved Riverside tradition.
City Pushes Wildfire Preparedness With Free Inspections, Firewise Program
The city is offering free home assessments and encouraging neighborhoods to form Firewise communities to reduce wildfire risk.
(Titus Pardee)
A 2025 state map update added 13,356 Riverside properties to high-fire-risk zones — nearly doubling the parcels now subject to defensible space requirements.
Why it matters: If your property is in a fire hazard severity zone, you're required to maintain 100 feet of cleared defensible space — and if you're selling, you must complete a state-mandated fire inspection before or at escrow close.
By the numbers: Riverside now has 24,110 parcels and 17,796 buildings in fire hazard severity zones citywide.
The Hawarden Fire in July 2024 burned 588 acres and destroyed six structures — the largest fire in Riverside's history.
What's available: The city offers free home assessments through the 311 app — a fire inspector visits and gives personalized guidance.
Completing approved mitigation steps also qualifies you to request insurance discounts under California law.
What's next: Riverside has no certified Firewise Communities yet, though one neighborhood has started the application process. To join, visit firewise.org.
Be smart: Council members flagged two unresolved problems — open space owned by neither homeowners nor the city, and bluff properties above the Santa Ana River with no access to their own edges. A citywide access policy is in the works.
Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair Opens to Public Saturday at the Convention Center
More than 500 students will display projects ranging from cookie chemistry to brain cancer research during the free event.
Students and visitors browse projects at the Riverside County Science and Engineering Fair at the Riverside Convention Center. The 2026 fair drew 530 students presenting 367 projects, the most since 2016. (Photo courtesy Riverside County Office of Education)
530 Riverside County students compete Saturday at the Convention Center — and the public can watch for free.
Why it matters: This is the largest fair since 2016, and you can see the next generation of local scientists in action at no cost before the awards ceremony.
What's happening: Public viewing runs 9 a.m.–noon, followed by a free awards ceremony at noon where gold and silver medals are presented.
367 projects across 22 subject categories represent 30 school districts, including Riverside Unified.
By the numbers: Projects range from a 4th-grader testing which fats make the best chocolate chip cookies to an 11th-grader researching DNA tools to detect brain cancer biomarkers.
What's next: Top junior and senior finalists advance to the California State Science Fair online April 11. Three seniors qualify for the international competition in Phoenix, May 9–15.
A UCR entomology study has found that bed bugs actively flee from water and wet surfaces, a previously undocumented behavior that could impact how water-based insecticide treatments are applied in infested homes.
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