Creek Fire burning in the Sierra National Forest
Credit: Ryan Waugh

September 8, 2020 - BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office has issued a temporary emergency closure of the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area in Fresno and Madera counties due to wildland fire danger. The closure is effective immediately and remains in effect until further notice. 

The Creek Fire is exhibiting extreme fire behavior and has burned nearly 79,000 acres in the Big Creek drainage between Shaver Lake, Big Creek and Huntington Lake, with no containment. The fire is being managed by a Type 1 Incident Command Team for the Sierra National Forest. The latest information, including road closures and mandatory evacuation orders and warnings, is available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7147/.  

The closure of the BLM-managed San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area prohibits all forms of public access to the approximately 7,000 acres of public land near the town of Auberry, along Smalley Road, west of Powerhouse Road. This closure is necessary to protect public land users from risks associated with active wildland fire and suppression, protect wildland fire fighters from recreational activities, including hunting of wild game, suppression repair, emergency stabilization, burned area rehabilitation and damage to recreational and natural resources. 

Outdoor recreationists are reminded that all public lands managed by the BLM Bakersfield Field Office are under fire restrictions. An interactive map and listing of fire restrictions throughout BLM California is available at https://go.usa.gov/xmUEG.  

For more information on the Creek Fire, call 844-668-3473. For specific questions on the San Joaquin River Gorge Special Recreation Management Area closure, please call 661-391-6000 during normal business hours.
Source: BLM