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Across California and the Northern California Geographic Area, more than 6,500 wildfires have burned 1.2 million acres, reports CBS13.
In an attempt to ease the strain on firefighting resources in the state and across the country, the US National Forest Service has announced they will be 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
The closure goes into effect starting August 22 at 11:59 P.M. and will continue through September 6, 2021, at 11:59 P.M.
“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.”