Lake Mathews

Community in Riverside County

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Report created October 27, 2026 at www.firezones.info/community/39645/lake-mathews

Summary

  • Fire hazard severity zones

    Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

    83% Very High

    Most of the Very High land is in the State Responsibility Area, where the State Fire Marshal's zones apply.

  • Fire history

    Share of the land inside a recorded wildfire perimeter

    18% has burned

    Most recently the 2023 Gavilan Fire, which burned 335 acres here, one of 7 fires on record.

  • Power line fire risk

    Share of the land in the High Fire-Threat District

    5% Extreme

    Utilities may shut off power in the CPUC High Fire-Threat District in fire weather, and homes outside it can lose power when their lines run through it.

Land by hazard class

  1. Very High 8,424 acres · 8,423 state, 1 local 83%
  2. High 422 acres · 422 state, <1 local 4%
  3. Moderate 1,339 acres · 1,339 state, <1 local 13%
  4. Non-wildland 9 acres · Local Responsibility Area <1%

10,194 acres of land in all, 10,184 in the State Responsibility Area and 10 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since 1 April 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

Fires that burned here

  1. 1960 Unnamed fire Of 5,277 acres in all 1,535 acres
  2. 2023 Gavilan Fire 335 acres
  3. 2004 Cerrito Fire Of 16,447 acres in all · Cause: Playing with fire 162 acres
  4. 1960 Gavilan Peak Fire Of 1,904 acres in all 112 acres
  5. 1985 Gavilan Fire 56 acres
  6. 2007 Straw Fire Of 43 acres in all 42 acres
  7. 1995 Vista Fire Of 126 acres in all 22 acres

In all, 1,837 acres of Lake Mathews have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history

Sources

Fire hazard severity zones
CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal
State map published 27 June 2025, local map 2 February 2026
Fire history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Power line fire risk
California Public Utilities Commission
Published 23 February 2026

This site is independent and not affiliated with CAL FIRE or the CPUC, so for an official determination, check with the agency or your city or county. How we read the data

Nearby areas

ZIP codes in Lake Mathews

Neighboring communities

  1. Lake Mathews 83% Very High · this area
  2. Mead Valley 46% Very High
  3. Woodcrest 36% Very High