The US Forestry Service ordered Monday to close all statewide forests in California by mid-September amid continued large bushfires that have charred across the state.
All California state forests will be closed from late Tuesday through mid-September, the US Forest Service announced.
The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is located outside the Pacific Southwest, is not affected by the order.
“We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,”Jennifer Eberlien
“We do not take this decision lightly, but this is the best choice for public safety,” Jennifer Eberlien, a regional official, said on CBS News'”Face the Nation.”
The order has no direct impact on the Humboldt-Toiyabe Nationwide Forest, which is partly in California but mostly in Nevada.
The Forest Service, which is listed in the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, highlights a number of factors that came into its decision, including public security in emergencies and reductions “the potential for new fire starts at a time of extremely limited firefighting resources.”
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
#BREAKING #CaliforniaWildfires: ALL National Forests in California to close "due to wildfire crisis", per @forestservice. This closure will be in effect from Aug. 31, 2021 at 11:59 pm through September 17, 2021 at 11:59 pm.
— Robert Kovacik (@RobertNBCLA) August 31, 2021