Lake Berryessa closed over holiday weekend
NAPA, CA - AUGUST 20: Smoke from the LNU Lightning Complex fire is reflected on Lake Berryessa after sunset as the smoke moves over Napa County, Calif., on Thursday, Aug., 20, 2020. (Photo by Ray Chavez/MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images
NAPA COUNTY, Calif. - The Lake Berryessa Recreation Area will be closed for Labor Day weekend as recovery work from the LNU Lightning Complex fires moves forward.
The lake was completely encircled by the largest blaze in the LNU Complex, the 317,909-acre Hennessey Fire, which sparked to life Aug. 17.
The closure was ordered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which said work will include tree removal, clearing of roads, and the installation of utility poles and lines. The closure includes all day use, concession-operated and boat launch sites.
"When you consider what's going on out there and the rebuilding of the infrastructure, there are hundreds of workers doing repairs that need to be done in a timely manner and we do need to take into account their safety," said Henry Wofford, a Napa County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
The Sheriff's Office will have extra patrols around the lake through Monday, turning people around who try to enter the area, said Wofford.