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.
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