On the Brink of Labor Day Weekend, Forest Service Closes All National Forests in California
It was a bold move when the National Forest Service announced it would close nine national forests in Northern California from August 22 through September 6 due to fire hazard. Now, the entire state is taking the same precaution, announcing that all national forests in California will be closed until September 17.
The announcement comes on the brink of Labor Day Weekend, one of the most heavily travelled weekends of the year and a popular time for camping trips, fishing outings, boating trips and BBQ’s. With waterways drying up and dangerous wildfires ravaging the state, the NFS has decided it’s much safer for people to stay home.
“We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,†said Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.â€
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
With wildfires like the Dixie Fire and Caldor Fire putting residents in danger and using much of the state’s fire resources, the NFS does not want to put anyone at risk.
“More than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the National Wildfire Preparedness Level … has been at PL5 since July 14, 2021, only the third time in the past 20 years that the nation has reached PL5 by mid-July — indicating the highest level of wildland fire activity,†officials said.
This adds to the already sweeping closures of outdoor destinations in Northern California, including Lassen Volcanic National Park, the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Marble Mountain Wilderness and Russian Wilderness. Basically, there’s not many places you can go in Northern California. Stay safe, everyone.
