Nine national forests close in California as state battles drought-fueled wildfires

(CNN) – Nine California national forests closed Monday as firefighters struggle to contain 11 major wildfires that burn in the state.
The U.S. Forest Service Southwest Pacific Region issued a emergency shutdown of forest services until at least September 6, citing “the extreme fire conditions throughout Northern California, and the limited resources to fight the fires across the country.”

“These temporary closures are necessary to ensure the safety of the public and firefighters, as well as to reduce the possibility of new fires starting,” said regional forester Jennifer Eberlien.

Closures include Tahoe National Forest, Lake Tahoe Watershed Management Unit, Plumas National Forest, Lassen National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, Klamath National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest , Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Modoc National Forest.

The forest service said anyone who violates the order could face fines of up to $ 5,000 for an individual and $ 10,000 for an organization, as well as up to six months in jail.

In addition, the Eldorado National Forest, also in California, was closed on August 17 due to the Caldor fire. This closure will last at least until September 30, according to the agency.

Emergency closures in California come as 93 large active and complex fires have burned 1,013,102 hectares in 13 states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

So far this year, more than 41,000 fires have burned 1,851,457.4 hectares, according to NIFC data. This figure is more than 500,000 hectares higher than the 1,335,462 hectares that caught fire at this time last year.

CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said slight relief is expected as a northwesterly flow of land has helped calm fire conditions and clear lingering smoke.

Winds along the frontal border of a cold front moving into the area could push some large fires into new territories, but next week will see cooler temperatures and higher humidity, which should increase containment, Guy said.

Although there are no significant rains, the western drought monitor shows “tiny signs of improvement,” Guy said. “A little is better than nothing or worse. So the little rain that was received made a scratch (not a blow) to the drought in the west.”

The Caldor fire burns more than 40,468 hectares

The fast-paced Caldor fire in northern California increased to 42,212 hectares on Sunday, up from 36,465 reported Saturday night. said Cal Fire.

The fire surpassed the 40,468 hectare mark just days after it started on August 14. The flames burning in El Dorado County are 5% contained.

As of Sunday night, the fire had destroyed 475 structures and threatened 17,488 others, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. More than 1,600 firefighters are assigned to fight the flames.

Some parts of El Dorado County are under evacuation mandates or notices. An evacuation warning is also in effect in parts of neighboring Amador County.

“This year what we are seeing more than ever is a set of fuel conditions that many of our professionals who have spent their entire careers fighting fire have never seen before,” said El Dorado National Forest Supervisor Jeff Marsolais , at an informational meeting with the community on Saturday night.

“The system is more loaded than ever,” he said of firefighting resources. “And our people on the ground are doing everything they can within their means.”

The Dixie fire offers conditions “never seen before”

Further north in California, the nation’s largest active fire, the Dixie Fire, expanded Monday to 293,729 hectares, reported Cal Fire.

The fire is the second largest in California history and is 40% contained after burning for 41 days.

The flames have destroyed more than 1,200 structures, residential, commercial and otherwise, and threaten another 12,000.

According to Cal Fire, there are evacuation advisories in parts of Plumas, Butte and Lassen counties.

“The fires burning in Northern California are showing extreme fire growth based on critical fuel conditions,” Cal Fire said in a Sunday night update about the Dixie fire.

“Under these drought conditions, wildfires are burning rapidly with extreme severity and have traveled up to 8 miles in a single day,” the update said. “Firefighters are experiencing conditions never seen before, such as increased spread rates, spotting and active night burning.”

– CNN’s Dakin Andone, Michael Guy and Kay Jones contributed to this report.