Firefighters’ new souvenirs — California wildfires T-shirts.
Decision affects many regional, national, state locations in Bay Area
After weathering weekslong closures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 200 Bay Area parks, preserves and beaches have been shut down by another force — a historic wrath of wildfires.
Citing safety concerns due to extreme fire activity, smoke and poor air quality across the region, park officials have decided to shut down dozens of parks until conditions improve.
“Please consider safer alternatives to outdoor activities during this time of extreme heat and fire danger. Do not overexert yourself or your pets and stay hydrated and sheltered from heat,” officials wrote on the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Facebook page.
Since a trio of historic blazes broke out a week ago following lightning strikes, they have combined to burn nearly 800,000 acres — an area more than twice the size of Los Angeles, or more than 25 cities the size of San Francisco. And while the flames may not be close to many Bay Area residents or parks, the effects of the fires have left a thick layer of smoke blanketing the region and the pungent scent of burning timber the air.
The closures include all regional parks in East Bay Regional Park District, open space preserves on the Peninsula and South Bay as well as dozens of state and national beaches and parks along the coast. County parks in Alameda, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties also have been shut down.
Employees in the county parks departments are aiding fire crews in stopping the spread of the fires by clearing trees, cutting roads and creating fire breaks in the event that flames reach their boundaries, according to San Mateo County Parks Director Nicholas Calderon.
The nearby Woodward fire has forced the National Park Service to cut off all of the access points to Point Reyes National Seashore to allow firefighters up north more room to travel and support evacuations if needed.
“There are very few evacuation routes from west Marin and there are multiple fire resources utilizing the roadways. It is imperative that roadways are open in the event of an evacuation order,” officials wrote on the Point Reyes Facebook page.
California State Parks announced Sunday that it would close all campgrounds in all Santa Cruz and San Mateo County state parks until at least Aug. 31 due to the CZU August Lightning Complex fire that is burning through both counties.
The CZU Fire began ripping through the Santa Cruz Mountains last week and decimated historic buildings, park headquarters and campgrounds in one of California’s most venerable parks, Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
The park, which was established in 1902 and receives more than 1 million visitors a year from around the world, will indefinitely close. But park officials have vowed to rebuild.