Santa Lucia Ranger District - Emergency Fire Area Closure Reduced
Incident: La Brea Fire Wildfire
Released: 8/26/2009
Date: August 26, 2009 Los Padres National Forest
6755 Hollister Ave. #150
Goleta, CA 93117
CONTACT: Kathleen Phelps 805-925-9538 www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres
Joe Pasinato 805-961-5745
Santa Lucia Ranger District - Emergency Fire Area Closure Reduced
GOLETA, CA...Forest Service officials today announced, that due to the La Brea Fire now being 100% contained, effective immediately, the Emergency Fire Area Closure will be reduced in size. The general area in and around the La Brea Fire, will most likely remain closed until next spring. This closure will allow the areas affected by the fire a chance to heal, as new growth vegetation begins to appear. Crews are still working in the area of the fire to rehabilitate the area. The closure is also for the safety of forest visitors, as there is a danger of falling trees, rolling rocks and other safety hazards present where the fire burned. There is also risk of flash flooding in streams and rivers should there be any rain and is why the Sisquoc River will remain closed from the Forest boundary to Wellman Camp. The emergency closure prohibits public entry to all national forest lands, trails, roads and recreation sites within the closure area specified below. The closure applies only to national forest lands and does not affect private lands within the national forest boundary.
Specifically, the La Brea Fire Closure Area includes the following loop (shown on attached map):
- Beginning three miles north of Pine Canyon Fire Station on State Highway 166 where it intersects with the Los Padres National Forest boundary,
- then north-easterly along State Highway 166 to its intersection with the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest,
- then south-easterly along the boundary of the Los Padres National Forest to its intersection with Schoolhouse Canyon,
- then south to its intersection with the Sierra Madre Ridge Road (Forest Road No. 32S13),
- then continues south along the west side of Sierra Madre Ridge Road to its intersection with Wellman Canyon,
- then continues southwesterly in Wellman Canyon to its intersection with the Sisquoc River;
- then continues west along the south side of the Sisquoc River to its intersection with the forest boundary;
- then continues north along the forest boundary back to the starting point, as shown on the attached La Brea Fire Closure Area Map.
- All campgrounds in the Colson area, Sierra Madre Ridge and Aliso Campground are closed.
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Forest visitors are encouraged to contact the Santa Lucia Ranger District at 805-925-9538 for detailed information regarding the closure and general information about the area.
Information about the La Brea Fire and the emergency closure is also available online at: http://www.inciweb.org/incident/1803
Forest visitors are reminded that fire restrictions are in effect in all areas of the Los Padres National Forest. For more information regarding current restrictions online: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/conditions/
