Extreme Fire Danger Prompts Closure Of San Juan National Forest; 4 Corners Deep In Level 4 Drought

DENVER -- Extreme fire danger prompted officials Monday to say they are shutting down a sprawling forest that includes some of Colorado's most stunning mountains in a region that attracts tourists from around the world. It's a rare tactic also being used in neighboring states as the U.S. Southwest struggles with severe drought.

National forests and parks in Arizona and New Mexico have already been shut down as precautions.

The U.S. Forest Service's website said Tuesday the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado is closed. Officials previously announced they were planning to close hundreds of miles of trails and thousands of miles of back roads to hikers, bikers, horseback riders and campers to prevent the possibility of an abandoned campfire or any other spark from starting a wildfire.

It's the first full closure of a national forest in Colorado since 2002, which was another very dry year. The closure will remain until sufficient precipitation eases the fire danger. The move comes as the residents of more than 2,000 homes have been forced to evacuate because of a fire that started June 1 in the forest and spread to about 35 square miles as of Monday. Authorities are still investigating how the fire started. No homes have been lost, but the fire came close to buildings Sunday night, authorities said. Fire managers credited advance fire mitigation work by homeowners for helping firefighters save the structures.

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/san-juan-national-forest-closed-extreme-fire-danger-2018-06-12/