UPDATE (9/14): The Forest Service announced that it’s extending the closure of national forests in Southern California due to continuing fire-prone weather conditions, but that all others in the state will reopen early.
That means Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Cleveland National Forests will remain closed until midnight on September 22.
However, all other national forests in California will now reopen on September 15 at 11:59pm.
Our original story appears below.
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There are eight wildfires burning through California’s national forests as we speak, including the Tahoe-threatening Caldor Fire, so to stave off even more disastrous outcomes the federal agency in charge of the lands has decided to temporarily close them to visitors.
All national forests in California will be closed from August 31 at 11:59pm through September 17 at 11:59pm, according to an announcement from USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. The Forest Service specifically says that the order applies to all roads, trails and land within the forests, with the exception of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is mostly in Nevada.
We made the difficult decision to temporarily close all National Forests in CA in order to better provide public & firefighter safety due to extreme fire conditions. This will be effective on Aug. 31 at 11:59 p.m. through Sept. 17 at 11:59 p.m. MORE: https://t.co/bm1dODBoLZ pic.twitter.com/QVLnyJSwGH
— Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region (@usfs_r5) August 31, 2021
Here in Los Angeles County, that means that Angeles National Forest (large portions of which are already off limits due to last year’s Bobcat fire) will be closed for hiking and camping over Labor Day weekend. Angeles Crest Highway will also be completely shut down to car traffic.
L.A.’s other major wilderness region, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, is managed by the National Park Service and has not announced any such closures. Speaking of, the order doesn’t affect any of the national parks in the state.
🚨CLOSURE ALERT🚨
— Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) August 31, 2021
Caltrans will be closing highways to all road users in the Angeles Nat’l Forest TONIGHT, Aug. 31 @ 11:59 p.m. thru Sept. 17:
🚧SR-2 @ Angeles Forest Highway
🚧SR-2 @ Big Pines
🚧SR-39 @ Gateway Center
🚧Golden State Highway @ I-5
🚧Old Ridge Route @ SR-138 pic.twitter.com/u9MIihon6T
“We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety,” said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien in a statement. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.”
In explaining its decision, the agency says that it’s looking to prevent visitors from potentially becoming trapped if a wildfire were to break out. In addition, keeping people out lessens the likelihood of new fires, as well as public health outbreaks tied to evacuation efforts.
The Forest Service noted that millions of acres have already burned in what’s shaping up to be an extreme wildfire season. The agency cited a confluence of four factors: record levels of fuel after a remarkably dry winter and spring; quick-moving fire behavior that’s outside the norm; limited firefighting resources; and weather conditions that are expected to stay the same or get even worse into the late fall.