Angeles National Forest To Reopen Thursday After Three-Week Closure

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – After being shuttered for about three weeks due wildfire concerns, the Angeles National Forest will finally reopen to the public.

The U.S. Forest Service announced that the Angeles National Forest will reopen at midnight Wednesday, along with the Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino national forests.

USFS reported that the reopening comes after the wildfire danger level has been lowered from critical to extreme for the region.

The emergency closures took effect for all national forests in California on Aug. 31.

"Several factors led to this decision allowing the closure order to expire," said Robert T. Heiar, deputy forest supervisor for the Angeles National Forest, in a statement. "Although we remain in extreme fire danger conditions, the national and regional improvement will help to provide the needed firefighting resources to southern California. As the forest remains in extreme fire danger conditions it is important to remember that full fire restrictions remain in place."

So far this year, Northern California has taken the brunt of the state's wildfire activity, with the historic Dixie and Caldor fires destroying hundreds of homes and forcing thousands of people to flee.

Wildfires have burned 2.35 million acres statewide in 2021, according to the latest state numbers.

USFS reports that 180 wildfires have broken out in the Angeles National Forest alone.

USFS noted that a portion of the Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Arcadia and Monrovia remains closed due to the September 2020 Bobcat Fire, which destroyed 87 homes and torched 116,000 acres.