Hiker Cited in Whitewater Brush Fire

A woman cooking dinner on Sterno has been cited for starting a 1,185-acre brush fire north of Whitewater.

Riverside County Fire Department officials said the fire, which started Wednesday night, was 15% contained Thursday and was not threatening structures.

But it was moving within three miles of Kitching Peak, where timber extends to the San Bernardino National Forest.

The out-of-state hiker was ticketed for starting the fire and could be billed the cost of extinguishing the blaze, Fire Department spokesman Rick Vogt said. The Pacific Crest Trail between Cottonwood Canyon and Whitewater Canyon has been closed because of the fire, Vogt said.