INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) – The Forest Service has extended a closure that impacts Southern California's three major forests.

The closure order is effective through September 22nd for the San Bernardino, Cleveland and Angeles National Forests.

It’s the third time in the past 20-years wildland fire activity in California and across the nation has reached PL5, its highest level.

Impacts of the closure:

-Reduces the number of people in the forests who could become trapped in a fire emergency
-Decreases the potential of new fire starts
-New fires pose a high risk to life and property
-Fire conditions become worse in the late summer and fall
-Fire behavior is beyond the norm of fire-fighting experience
-Record level fuel and fire conditions

Exempt from the forest closure are owners or lessees of private land. Those engaged in a business, trade, or occupation and residents of such private landholdings may use National Forest System roads to the extent necessary to carry out their tasks.

In the Angeles National Forest, the California Highway Patrol has closed State Route 2 from Big Pines west of Wrightwood to the I-5 in LA County. Caltrans says there is no access to hikers, bikers and vehicles.

More than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across California so far this year.

Story Date: September 22, 2021