All of California’s national forests will be closed from late Tuesday through mid-September, according to an order issued by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency said the closures will help “provide better public safety and firefighters due to the continuity Forest fire crisis in California. “
Closures will take effect Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. local time until Sept. 17, according to the USDA Forest Service’s Southwest Pacific region. The order does not affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Forest Service said, because it is not located in the southwest Pacific region.
“We don’t take that decision lightly, but this is the best option for public safety,” said regional forestry Jennifer Eberlien. “It’s especially difficult with the next Labor Day weekend, when so many people are enjoying our national forests.”
The Forest Service listed in its notice several factors that made its decision, including public safety during emergency circumstances, in addition to diminishing “the potential for new fires begins at a time of extremely fire-fighting resources. limited “.
Officials also listed the criteria for those people who are exempt from the order, including those who have a specific permit and those who are federal, state, or local officials fulfilling an official duty.
Officials said “more than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres in all California jurisdictions, and that the National Forest Fire Preparedness Level … has been at PL5 since July 14 of 2021, only the third time in the last 20 years that the nation has reached PL5 in mid-July, indicating the highest level of forest fire activity. “
The Forest Service said in its order that “forecasts show that conditions this season are the same or worse as we move into late summer and fall.”