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US Forest Service is closing California's national forests as wildfires spread
All national forests in California's Pacific Southwest Region are set to close for two weeks as wildfires rage across the state.
The closures, which take effect at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, will last through Sept. 17 and apply to all national forests in California except the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, which isn't in the Pacific Southwest Region, according to a Monday statement from the U.S. Forest Service.
Closing recreation areas "is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests," Forest Service spokeswoman Jennifer Eberlien said in the statement.
Federal officials said their decision to shut all gates to the forests is meant to keep the public and firefighters safe from the fires that are already burning and to reduce the likelihood people could start new fires.
► Caldor Fire:Roads packed after South Lake Tahoe ordered to evacuate
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also cited weather conditions as a factor for the shutdown. Hot, dry and windy conditions are pushing fires faster, making the danger even greater and taxing resources.
"We're facing fire behavior that is beyond the norm of our experience," the forest service said.
► South Lake Tahoe:Usually bustling now, Lake Tahoe is empty and choking on smoke from the Caldor Fire
Weather conditions are extreme and have been fueling wildfires throughout California, including the Dixie and Caldor fires. At more than 770,000 acres, the Dixie Fire is the second-largest wildfire in California's recorded history.
Conditions ripe for huge, fast-moving fires aren't likely to change soon, the forest service said. In fact, they'll be the norm through late summer into fall.
The closures come 10 days after the forest service closed nine national forests because of fire danger, including Shasta-Trinity and Klamath national forests.
Those forests had been set to reopen Sept. 6 but will remain closed under the order, as will El Dorado National Forest near Sacramento. The latter closed because of the 186,568-acre Caldor Fire burning in the forest and spreading east toward the Tahoe Basin.
► Caldor Fire:Douglas County issues evacuation warnings; fire 186,568 acres and 15% contained
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook.