FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 file image from a U.S. Forest Service wildfire monitoring camera, plumes of smoke rise from the Caldor Fire in El Dorado County, Calif. California has already surpassed the acreage burned at this point last year, which ended up setting the record. Now it’s entering a period when powerful winds have often driven the deadliest blazes. (U.S. Forest Service/ALERTWildfire Network via AP, File)
Nine National Forests in Northern California are closing due to extreme fire conditions. The U.S. Forest Service made the announcement yesterday, saying the closures will run from August 23rd though September 6th. Included in the closures are Modoc, Klamath, Plumas, Shasta-Trinity, Lassen, Six Rivers, Mendocino and Tahoe National Forests, as well as the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. This comes as the El Dorado National Forest is already closed due to the Caldor Fire, at least through September 30th. This decision is being made due to ongoing drought conditions, dry fuels and high winds that reportedly make initial containment of possible wildfires very difficult.