URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

General Palm Springs area.

URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby Florian » Wed Sep 09, 2020 6:32 am

All southern and central California national forest lands are now closed to ALL access. This includes all hiking and camping.

More info here .. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD799162

-Florian
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby guest » Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:34 pm

Thanks for the "bad news" Florian, although I do understand why they're needing to do this.

Here's what the BLM has added to they're restrictions for the remainder of fire season:


The Bureau of Land Management increases fire restrictions throughout California

Campfires and all open flames prohibited on BLM-managed public lands

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management is increasing fire restrictions and prohibiting all uses of open flame including campfires, barbecues and stoves, on BLM-managed public lands in the state of California effective Sept. 8, due to high fire danger. These new restrictions are in addition to the year-round statewide fire prevention order and local fire and target shooting restrictions already in place.

The following restrictions will remain in place until the fire danger subsides:

• No building, maintaining, attending, or using a campfire, charcoal BBQ, portable stoves, or open flame of any kind, including within established campground.
• No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or at a developed recreation site, or other designated areas.
• No welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
• No possession, discharge or use of fireworks, pyrotechnic or incendiary devices.
• No shooting, igniting or causing to burn; explosives or explosive material, including binary explosive targets.

This year, wildfires have burned more than 2.2 million acres across California. This is a record for the number of acres burned in the state, and the fire season has another four months to go.

With most of the state experiencing hot, dry, windy weather please use extreme caution. This has been an active wildland fire year with fires occurring in proximity to roadways, communities and recreational areas, posing considerable threat to public safety. Taking individual responsibility to reduce wildfire risk, while recreating on public lands, around homes and communities, before a fire occurs can help keep property, the public and firefighters safe.

Anyone found guilty of violating a fire prevention order may be fined not more than $100,000 and/or imprisonment for not more than 12 months. Restitution for total fire suppression and damage costs incurred may be borne by the trespasser.

An interactive map and listing of fire restrictions throughout BLM California are available at https://go.usa.gov/xmUEG. To learn how you can do your part to prevent wildland fires visit www.readyforwildfire.org.
-BLM-

Martha Maciel
Deputy State Director, Communications
Bureau of Land Management - California
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby Ed » Thu Sep 10, 2020 8:51 am

And I wish they would drop 'matches and fire starter' from the 10 Essentials List. Back in the '70's I had a conversation with a hiker who said that if he were threatened by a wildfire, he would start a backfire. He was a nervous individual who clearly knew nothing about backfires. I had the urge to murder him, to eliminate a threat to public safety.
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby guest » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:31 pm

Yeah, tough call, because no one that's lost wants to freeze, but there are other ways I guess.
I remember at least one SAR mission above the tram, (probably a few more), where a couple drunk guys wondered into the forest, one making it as far as Round Valley, if I remember.
Got lost, (duhhh), started a fire, they found him, (including some booze), and luckily got fire out.

Then, there was the couple who went missing from tram a year after John Donovan was lost, scrambled way down Long Valley (aka Catch-a-Hipie) drainage, got cliffed-out & unable to continue down).
They found Donovan's pack, complete w/ matches or lighter & started a fire which allowed SAR's to hone in on them, (once again, fire didn't explode like it could have).
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby futbol » Thu Sep 10, 2020 1:08 pm

I usually bring an emergency bivvy and a Garmin InReach on day hikes where there is the possibility of getting lost or injured and having to spend an unexpected overnight stay.

In 2003 a hunter down here in San Diego got lost and started a signal fire. That fire turned into the deadly Cedar Fire, which burned 273,000 acres.
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby Ed » Thu Sep 10, 2020 4:31 pm

futbol wrote:In 2003 a hunter down here in San Diego got lost and started a signal fire. That fire turned into the deadly Cedar Fire, which burned 273,000 acres.


And burned down my house. But as my post above indicates, I was sensitive to this issue long before that.
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby Florian » Wed Sep 30, 2020 6:48 pm

Forest closure extended through 8th October .. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd815381.pdf

Some additional info here .. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r5/home/?cid=FSEPRD804563
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby David W » Thu Oct 08, 2020 7:31 am

So are we free this weekend?
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby JerryN » Thu Oct 08, 2020 3:57 pm

nope still closed. The Los Padres announced a limited opening on the 9th, so it is possible that there will be more tomorrow but I would not plan on it
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Re: URGENT: National Forest lands closed to all access

Postby SoCalJim » Thu Oct 08, 2020 6:03 pm

Most Inyo NF wilderness is still closed too. But the White Mountains are open again.
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