Several national forests in California to close due to increased fire danger
National forests throughout California are being closed Monday evening due to fire danger caused by extreme heat and dry conditions across the state, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Thee closures affect all national forests south of Eldorado National Forest in Placerville, including:
- Stanislaus National Forest
- Sierra National Forest
- Sequoia National Forest
- Inyo National Forest
- Los Padres National Forest
- Angeles National Forest
- San Bernardino National Forest
- Cleveland National Forest
Closure status will be reviewed daily as the conditions change, according to a news release from the Forest Service.
“The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire,” U.S. Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore said in the release.
“We are bringing every resource to bear nationally and internationally to fight these fires, but until conditions improve, and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely, the priority is always to protect the public and our firefighters. With these extreme conditions, these temporary actions will help us do both.”
In addition to the parks closure, developed campgrounds and day-use sites at all national forests in California will be closed. Ignition sources such as campfires and gas stoves have also been prohibited.
There are currently 25 active wildfires in California, according to the Cal Fire incident page, with the SCU Lightning Complex having burned 396,624 as of Monday afternoon.
This story was originally published September 7, 2020 at 2:51 PM with the headline "Several national forests in California to close due to increased fire danger."