Nine National Forests In California Temporarily Closing To Minimize Fire Risk
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - More than 6,500 wildfires have burned 1.2 million acres across California, and the Northern California Geographic Area.
In order to ease the strain on firefighting resources in the state and across the country, the US National Forest Service is temporarily closing these nine national forests:
- Tahoe National Forest
- Modoc National Forest
- Klamath National Forest
- Plumas National Forest
- Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
- Shasta-Trinity National Forest
- Lassen National Forest
- Six Rivers National Forest
- Mendocino National Forest
This closure goes into effect on August 22 at 11:59 p.m. through September 6, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.
Those exempt from the order include those who are members of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of their official duties, and residents who need to access the land in order to get to their homes.
"Fires are running very quickly due to the drought conditions, dry fuels, and winds. This makes initial attack and containment very difficult and is even more challenging with strained resources who are battling more than 100 large fires across the country," said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. "We do not take this decision lightly and understand how this impacts people who enjoy recreating on the National Forests. 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."
