ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST : Stray Gunfire Prompts Closure of Pigeon Ridge Shooting Area
The U.S. Forest Service will close Pigeon Ridge Shooting Area by March 25, citing incidents of misdirected gunfire and wildfire sparked by ricocheting ammunition.
Last summer, a forest service employee was struck in the side by a stray bullet believed to be from Pigeon Ridge, said District Ranger Peggy Hernandez. The employee, who suffered a flesh wound, was not seriously injured.
Two years ago, a Los Angeles County sheriff’s car was hit by a stray bullet from the shooting area, she said.
Also, residents in the area have blamed their broken windows on gunfire from Pigeon Ridge, Hernandez said. And every year, at least two fires in the area are attributed to ricocheting bullets that ignite flammable material, she said.
Pigeon Ridge, about 15 miles from the San Gabriel Canyon entrance on Highway 39, is not regularly staffed by forest service workers, and law enforcement officers do not regularly patrol the site.
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