As most of Angeles National Forest reopens, officials warn against ‘crushing the life out of’ plants in closed areas

Most of the Angeles National Forest reopened Thursday after temporarily closing earlier this month for “critical” fire danger. But two areas covering less than one-fifth of the forest will remain closed to the public.

Dana Dierkes, public affairs officer for the Angeles National Forest, told LAist that it’s for your safety, but also so the landscape can heal after the deadly Eaton Fire and last year’s Bridge Fire.

“ You may be stepping on, like, little seedlings,” she said. “Or stepping on that regrowth and crushing the life out of it before it even has a chance to really grow enough to survive.”

Why it matters

Visitors could be seriously injured, or killed, by safety hazards in the closed areas, officials warn.

Those include landslides, rockslides, mudslides and flash flooding — which officials noted can happen at any time, even if there’s no rain nearby. There could also be loose, rolling rocks or hidden hot spots burning underground.

“ One of the reasons why the soil isn't always stable is because depending upon the severity of the burn, the whole entire root system may have been burned out,” Dierkes said. “And so that means that the soil literally has nothing to hold it into place.”

After a major wildfire in the forest, crews will look at the effects on the soil, plants, wildlife, cultural resources and historic places. They are in the process of completing that report, Dierkes said.

The partial Eaton Fire closure, and the previous Bridge Fire closure, will be in effect through the end of the year. But officials will continue to assess the areas in the months ahead to see if anything can be reopened sooner.

“ The winds alone also created their own impacts on the landscape,” she said. “When you had winds of 80 to 100 miles an hour, they literally scoured the top soil off of some of the areas that were then burned, or had burned.”

You can find a map of the Eaton Fire road closures here, and the trail closures here. You can find the forest order, including exemptions, here.

If you do go into closed areas, you could be hit with a $5,000 fine for an individual, or $10,000 for an organization. You could also face prison time.

What about fire danger?

The fire danger was downgraded to “extreme” on Wednesday, which is the second-highest level.

This is in part due to the rain and snow that recently moved through the forest, including in the Mount Baldy area.

“ But I would definitely caution that it was just really a little bit of rain,” Dierkes said. “So it helps with  moisture in some of the plants that are like small grasses, small plants — not things that generally have heavier fuel.”

The fire danger levels come with their own sets of rules and regulations.

The "extreme" level means no campfires — even if you have a California Campfire Permit — grills, portable stoves, smoking, shooting or welding. Basically, nothing that could spark a fire, including fireworks or sparklers, which are banned throughout the forest at all times.

You could face a $5,000 fine and six months in jail for breaking the law. And if you do end up starting a wildfire, you’d be liable for firefighting costs.

“The Angeles National Forest really encourages and appreciates visitors’ patience in waiting for closed areas to eventually reopen,” she said. “ But at this time, we have to wait and see what Mother Nature brings as far as winter is concerned.”