All California national forests to temporarily close due to "wildfire crisis"

All of California's national forests will be closed starting late Tuesday until mid-September, according to an order posted by the U.S. Forest Service. The agency said the closures will help "better provide public and firefighter safety due to the ongoing California wildfire crisis."

The closures will be in effect from August 31 at 11:59 p.m. local time until the same time on September 17, according to the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. The order doesn't affect the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, the Forest Service said, because it's not in the Pacific Southwest Region. "We do not take this decision lightly but this is the best choice for public safety," regional forester Jennifer Eberlien said. "It is especially hard with the approaching Labor Day weekend, when so many people enjoy our national forests."