CALIFORNIA, USA — All National Forests in California are closing to the public for the next two weeks as massive wildfires rage across the state.
The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced the closures Monday evening -- beginning on Aug. 31 and running through Sept. 17 – in an effort to both prevent possible injuries and lower the chances of a new fire accidentally being set.
“We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety,” Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien said in a press release. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.”
The move also decreases the chance that fire crews would risk exposing themselves to possible COVID-19 infection if they were called in to rescue National Forest visitors. This closure expands and extends a previous order that was set to elapse on Sept. 6.
“These temporary closures are necessary to ensure public and firefighter safety, as well as reduce the potential for new fire starts. I want to thank the public for your patience during this challenging situation,” Eberlien said back when the original closure was announcedback on Aug. 18.
Anyone caught entering National Forest Service lands (a PDF is included below) could be punished with a fine up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both.
The order does not affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is not in the Pacific Southwest Region.
According to the USDA Forest Service, “more than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the National Wildfire Preparedness Level (PL) has been at PL5 since July 14, 2021, only the third time in the past 20 years that the nation has reached PL 5 by mid-July – indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity.”