LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Angeles and Cleveland national forests will be closed beginning at 11:59 p.m. tonight under an order issued by the U.S. Forest Service closing all but one of California's national forests due to the state's numerous wildfires.
The order closing all the forests in the Pacific Southwest Region extends through Sept. 17, and is intended to help ensure the safety of the public and firefighters, according to Regional Forester Jennifer Eberlien.
“We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety,'' Eberlien said. “It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests.''
On Tuesday morning, the forest service announced that state Route 2 “is now closed'' between Big Pines west of Wrightwood to the Golden State (5) Freeway in Los Angeles County.
Other closures announced Tuesday morning include:
-- SR 2 at Clear Creek;
-- SR 2 at Big Pines;
-- SR 39 near Gateway Center;
-- Old Ridge Route at SR-138;
-- Upper Big Tujunga at SR 2 and Angeles Forest Highway;
-- Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road;
-- Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road; and
-- San Dimas Canyon Road.
By enacting the closures, the forest service seeks to minimize the likelihood of visitors becoming trapped in a national forest during a fire,decrease the potential for new fires to start and enhance firefighter and public safety by limiting exposure to COVID-19 that might occur during public evacuations.
“More than 6,800 wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres across all jurisdictions in California, and the National Wildfire Preparedness Level has been at PL5 since July 14, 2021, only the third time in the past 20 years that the nation has reached PL5 by mid-July,'' the forest service said in a statement.
The only national forest in California not covered by the order is the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which is not in the Pacific Southwest region.
A portion of the Angeles National Forest is in Los Angeles County. A portion of the Cleveland National Forest is in Orange County.
Copyright 2021, City News Service, Inc.