California Private Forests Closed to Public Due to Wildfire Risk

A file photo of dead and dying trees are seen in a forest stressed by drought conditions in California on May, 2015. David McNew/Getty Images

ANDERSON, Calif.—One of the nation’s largest lumber manufacturers, Sierra Pacific Industries, closed public access to its forests in California as of July 1 because of a high risk of wildfires.

“Despite some of the late spring rains, California is experiencing the driest conditions in 1,200 years,” spokeswoman Andrea Howell said in a statement.