Los Padres National Forest will remain closed to the public through Sept. 22.
Los Padres officials announced that the closure will be extended five days past the previous Sept. 17 date.
The closure applies to three other national forests in Southern California: Angeles, Cleveland and San Bernardino National Forests.
Ongoing fire risk and current wildfires burning across the West are behind the extension, officials say. Many California fire crews have spent the last several weeks lending aid to fight fires away from home.
Officials describe current firefighting resources as "extremely limited." The closures temporarily cut down the number of people in the national forests, limiting potential fire starts and minimizing the chance that visitors could be trapped during an emergency.
Officials cite 11 large wildfires currently burning in National Forest System lands.
This year's severe drought combined with hot and dry weather conditions mean fire danger is high across the state.
The current closure will end at midnight on Sept. 22.
