Michele Chandler
Redding Record Searchlight
 
Ten more National Forests in California will temporarily close starting at 5 p.m. today due to “unprecedented and historic fire conditions throughout the state,” the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced on Wednesday.

Those forests include:

  • Shasta-Trinity National Forest
  • Eldorado National Forest
  • Klamath National Forest
  • Lassen National Forest
  • Mendocino National Forest
  • Modoc National Forest
  • Six Rivers National Forest
  • Plumas National Forest
  • Tahoe National Forest
  • Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit

The service had already closed eight National Forests on Monday evening due to wildfires. The latest shutdown means that all 18 National Forests in the state will be closed.

“These temporary closures are necessary to protect the public and our firefighters, and we will keep them in place until conditions improve and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely,” said Regional Forester Randy Moore. “I ask all Californians and visitors to take these closures and evacuations seriously for their own safety and to allow our firefighters to focus on the mission of safely suppressing these fires.”

The closure decision will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change, the agency said.

Original story, Sept. 8

Lassen National Forest is one of five national forests in Northern California that have been temporarily closed to most camping starting today due the high risk of wildfires in the region.

The combination of intense heat, high winds, dry conditions and limited firefighting resources has caused the U.S. Forest Service to close many national forests across the state.

“There’s an extremely high potential for new fires to start and burn uncontrollably,” said Lassen National Forest Supervisor Deb Bumpus. “Extreme fire conditions and weather, along with significant shortages in firefighting resources, pose significant threats to communities and our public visitors.”

In addition to the Lassen National Forest, these forests have also been closed:

  • Eldorado National Forest, east of Sacramento
  • Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, South Lake Tahoe
  • Plumas National Forest, south of Susanville
  • Tahoe National Forest, east of Grass Valley

The agency’s order prohibits all camping except in wilderness areas and within 500 feet of the Pacific Crest Trail. The order also closes the forest lands to camping outside designated, developed campgrounds called “dispersed camping.”

Read More:Red Flag Warning issued as Tehama County fire approaches 47,000 acres

There are several exemptions to the order, including:

  • Persons with Forest Service Permit No. FS-7700-48 (Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order)
  • Any Federal, State or local officer or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
  • Persons with a Forest Service non-special use written authorization to conduct non-recreational activities, such as harvesting timber or forest products, or grazing livestock.

The temporary closures of developed campgrounds, recreation sites, dispersed camping and the temporary fire ban prohibiting all campfires regardless of ignition source or location will be reevaluated as conditions change.

For more information, visit the Lassen National Forest at www.fs.usda.gov/lassen.