Fire Restrictions Eased In Los Padres National Forest After Storms Dump Rain
GOLETA (AP) -- Enough rain has fallen in the vast Los Padres National Forest to allow easing of fire restrictions.
The forest announced Tuesday that due to sufficient moisture levels campfires and charcoal barbeques will be allowed in all developed campgrounds. The reduction from Level 4 to Level 2 restrictions also lifts prohibitions on recreational target shooting.
Wildfires that scorched the forest this year included one ignited by an illegal campfire near Soberanes Creek on July 22 that took nearly three months to contain as it spread over 206 square miles. Firefighting costs exceeded $200 million.
Los Padres is California's third-largest national forest, covering more than 3,100 square miles in a 220-mile-long swath of coastal mountains from the edge of Los Angeles County north into Monterey County.
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