Los Padres National Forest officials today announced that the forest-wide closure that took effect August 31 will expire at midnight tonight, re-opening public access to Forest campgrounds, roads and trails beginning tomorrow, September 23. Fire restrictions banning wood and charcoal fires remain in effect throughout the Forest, however these restrictions have been modified to allow the use of portable lanterns and stoves with a shut-off valve in both developed campgrounds and dispersed sites by visitors with a valid California Campfire Permit.The forest-wide closures on the other three Southern California national forests – Angeles, Cleveland and San Bernardino – will also expire tonight with modified or updated fire use restrictions. More than 7,400 wildfires have burned approximately 2.25 million acres across all jurisdictions in California this year. As of Sept. 20, the national preparedness level has been lowered to Preparedness Level 4 (PL4); the Northern California Geographic Area was also lowered to PL4 while the Southern California Geographic Area remains at PL4. Los Padres National Forest continues to monitor conditions on the forest for public and firefighter safety as the potential danger continues for high-intensity fires and large fire growth. > >Los Padres officials wish to thank the public for the patience and understanding that has been shown during this challenging fire season. For more information, please visit the Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

This is part of the September 17, 2021 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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