Monday, September 7, 2020

USFS REGION 5 ISSUES EMERGENCY CLOSURE ORDER DUE TO EXTREME WILDFIRE CONDITIONS


PWORA PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Sept. 7, 2020

REGION 5 ISSUES EMERGENCY FOREST CLOSURE ORDER FOR CALIFORNIA

As wildfires continue to blow-up in California and threaten the lives of visitors, including those rescued by the California National Guard on the Sierra National Forest, PWORA would like to share this news release today from the Regional Forester, Randy Moore,  at the Region 5 headquarters in Vallejo, CA.

PWORA urges the recreation community to review the news release to see what National Forests and recreation facilities have been closed during these extreme CODE RED wildfire conditions.   

Also, authorities fighting the August Complex Fires on the Mendocino National Forest issued a Red Flag Warning on Sunday afternoon that is in effect from 10 pm Monday to 8 am Wednesday. There is potential for increased fire activity and spread with heavy smoke production.

LINK TO REGION 5 NEWS RELEASE


VALLEJO, Calif., September 7, 2020 – Most of California remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions with a combination of extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions, and firefighting resources that are stretched to the limit. Due to these conditions, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing the following temporary closures and fire restrictions to provide for public safety and reduce the potential for human caused fire starts. They will go into effect at 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on Monday, September 7, 2020, and will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change.

1.            Closure of the following National Forests: Stanislaus National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, Angeles National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, and Cleveland National Forest.
2.            Prohibition of the use of any ignition source on all National Forest System lands (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) throughout California.
3.            Closure of all developed campgrounds and day-use sites on National Forests in California.

“The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire,” said Randy Moore, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. “We are bringing every resource to bear nationally and internationally to fight these fires, but until conditions improve, and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely, the priority is always to protect the public and our firefighters. With these extreme conditions, these temporary actions will help us do both.”

An example of extreme fire behavior is the Creek Fire on the Sierra National Forest which began on Friday Sep. 4th and grew rapidly on Saturday, Sep. 5th. The fire made a 15-mile run in a single day and burned 36,000 acres, prompting evacuations and life saving measures. The California National Guard evacuated at least 200 people from Wagner Mammoth Pool Campground and assessed them for medical needs.

The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this monumental fire threat. It is critical that all Californians and national forest visitors follow these important closures and restrictions for their own safety and the safety of our firefighters.

PWORA thanks you for your prompt attention to this public service announcement and urges you to support our firefighters and those who have been impacted by the 2020 wildfire season.  Remember we still have about 3 or more months left of our dry season before the winter rains come.