Dead and Dying Trees Close Another Fig Mtn Road

Another road in the Santa Barbara backcountry near Figueroa Mountain has been closed by Los Padres National Forest officials as still-standing dead and dying trees pose a safety risk to visitors.

On August 14, officials closed Forest Service Road 8N32 at East Pinery Gate. The off-limits road joins 8N16, which was closed in early July to prevent access to the Figueroa Lookout, Pino Alto, and Cumbre day-use areas. Figueroa Campground also remains closed.

As chainsaw-certified Los Padres firefighters “are getting swept from one fire to another” across the state, the agency lacks the manpower to remove the drought-ravaged trees, according to Los Padres spokesman Andrew Madsen. On National Forest land in California alone, the number of dead trees is estimated at 60 million, mostly in the Sierra foothills.