MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The closure order for the Mill Fire area was adjusted on Saturday, restoring access to Letts Lake, while maintaining the closure within most of the fire perimeter on the Mendocino National Forest.

The new closure order opened up the M10 Road access to the north of the fire, including access to the recreation sites on the southern portion of the Snow Mountain Wilderness. On the south, it reestablishes access to Goat Mountain Road.  

The closure includes roads and popular off-highway vehicle trails that were damaged in the wildfire.

Residents and landowners or lessees of land within the closure area are exempt from the order to the extent necessary to access their property.

The forest is currently involved in Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) evaluation and activities to address the damage from the Mill Fire.

This includes looking at vegetation, soils and the watershed, as well as roads, trails and facilities in the area.

“We are happy to be able to allow the public to access Letts Lake and the Snow Mountain Wilderness from the M10 Road again,” said Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune. “We are asking the public to respect the closure order for the majority of the Mill Fire area, including roads and trails within the burned acreage.  This will help us maintain public and firefighter safety, as well as safely continue our work to stabilize and rehabilitate these areas to protect the natural resources and provide for future visitor use.”

The Mill Fire started Saturday, July 7, and consumed more than 29,500 acres between the Letts Lake area and the community of Stonyford on the Grindstone Ranger District of the Mendocino National Forest.

Violation of the closure order is punishable by a fine of no more than $5,000 for an individual, $10,000 for an organization, or up to six months imprisonment or both.

For more information, please visit www.fs.usda.gov//mendocino or contact the Forest at 530-934-3316.