2021 Fire/Smoke Impact Reports

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SEKI NP:

Wildfires in Sequoia National Park Growing, Closures Underway

Active wildfires caused by a significant lightning storm on Thursday are growing and have potential to affect park infrastructure and resources. The parks are aggressively attacking these fires to suppress them. The Cabin Fire reached approximately two acres and is largely contained, the Colony and Paradise Fires are in much steeper and dangerous terrain and are being attacked by numerous aircraft resources with water and retardant to slow the rate of spread. The Colony Fire grew from four acres to 72 acres overnight with zero percent containment. Paradise Fire is now approximately 32 acres in size with zero percent containment.

The Generals Highway closed today at 1:00 p.m. to uphill traffic from the Sequoia Entrance Station to the Giant Forest Museum. This portion of the Generals Highway will close to all visitor traffic tomorrow, September 12 at 6:00 a.m. Potwisha Campground is closing this evening due to proximity to the Paradise and Colony Fires. Yesterday, Crystal Cave and Crystal Cave Road were closed due to proximity to the Colony Fire. Buckeye Flat Campground was also closed yesterday due to proximity to the Paradise Fire. These areas will remain closed until the fire threat is diminished. More closures may be necessary in the coming days.

The Kings Canyon entrance from Highway 180 remains open. The Generals Highway is open between the Kings Canyon entrance and the Giant Forest Museum in Sequoia National Park until further notice.

Reservation holders for Crystal Cave, Buckeye Flat Campground, and Potwisha Campground will receive notifications and refunds directly from Recreation.gov.

Visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the coming days can expect to encounter smoke, poor air quality, firefighters, and may see active fire from certain vista points.

Numerous aircraft have been assigned to the fires over the last two days including an air attack, six air tankers, two Type 1 helicopters, two Type 2 helicopters, and one Type 3 helicopter. Two more helicopters have been ordered to assist with suppression. The parks have received assistance from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, and have resources coming from Yosemite National Park, with more assistance expected.

Due to high fuels, low moisture levels, and limited resources, large spread is possible for these fires and local residents are encouraged to track updates through InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/

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https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Generals Highway Closes Throughout Sequoia National Park, Beginning 7 pm, September 12

Due to wildfire activity, the Generals Highway is closed from the Sequoia National Park entrance in Three Rivers to just south of the Grant Grove area in Kings Canyon National Park. The Mineral King area is also closed. Kings Canyon National Park is open.

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SEKI NP:

The KNP Complex, comprised of the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire in Sequoia National Park, continued to grow yesterday. The most recent mapping showed the Paradise Fire at 807 acres and the Colony Fire at 230 acres. Extremely smoky conditions under an inversion layer have prevented further mapping thus far today.

The Paradise Fire, burning south of the middle fork of the Kaweah River, has prompted a mandatory evacuation of the Mineral King area, from the Oak Grove Bridge to the end of the road in Mineral King Valley, effective yesterday evening.
It has also prompted an evacuation warning for part of the community of Three Rivers. The evacuation warning covers all points on both sides of Highway 198, east of the intersection of Highway 198 and North Fork Drive. The evacuation warning does not include points located on North Fork or South Fork Drive. To view maps that show these evacuation areas, visit https://tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies/.

Those in the mandatory evacuation order area must leave immediately. Those in the evacuation warning area should prepare to leave, should the warning escalate to an order.

These lightning-ignited fires are burning in extremely steep, densely-vegetated areas. Ground access is challenging on the Colony Fire and has thus far proved impossible on the Paradise Fire. There are currently 130 people assigned to the KNP Complex, with more resources on the way. A type 2 incident management team from the Northern Rockies Region has been ordered, and is expected to transition into place later this week.

For updates on the KNP Complex, follow https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/.

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SEKI NP:

The KNP Complex, ignited by lightning on the night of September 9, continues to grow in Sequoia National Park. The complex is comprised of the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire. Last night, the Paradise Fire made a downhill run, and crossed the middle fork of the Kaweah River and the Generals Highway. As a result of this, the parks are evacuating employees from the Ash Mountain Headquarters Complex and nearby housing areas.

The Paradise Fire has a new acreage of 2,531 acres, and the Colony Fire has a new acreage of 493 acres, for a combined total for the KNP Complex of 3,024, with 0% containment.

In the coming days, the current and incoming incident management teams will operate out of the Three Rivers Memorial Building. Per Tulare County Sheriff, part of the community of Three Rivers remains under evacuation warning. This area includes all points along both sides of Highway 198 between the intersection with North Fork Drive and the entrance to Sequoia National Park. North Fork and South Fork Drives are not included in the evacuation warning. The evacuation warning is not an order. It means that residents should prepare for the possibility of evacuation, so that they will be ready to mobilize and leave should the evacuation warning escalate to an evacuation order. Mineral King remains under evacuation order.

Another community meeting will take place tonight, September 14, at 5 p.m. at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, located at 43490 Sierra Dr, Three Rivers, CA. As before, the meeting will be live streamed on the parks’ Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SequoiaKingsNPS, and will be available afterwards for viewing there and on Inciweb in the “videos” section.

The KNP Complex has been a full suppression incident since the discovery of the smokes the morning following the lightning storm. In the case of the Paradise Fire, extremely steep topography and a total lack of access has prevented any ground crew operations, and in the case of the Colony Fire, only a limited amount of ground crew access has been possible. Both fires have utilized extensive aerial resources performing water and retardant drops, but even this was hindered yesterday by bad visibility in extremely smoky conditions.

For updates on the KNP Complex, follow https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/.

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SEKI NP:

The KNP Complex, ignited by lightning on the night of September 9, grew significantly yesterday. The complex is comprised of the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire. Sequoia National Park is closed to the public, and employees that reside inside the park have been evacuated. Kings Canyon National Park remains open, but serious air quality impacts are possible.

The Paradise Fire has a new acreage of 5,914 acres, and the Colony Fire has a new acreage of 1,125 acres, for a combined total for the KNP Complex of 7,039, with 0% containment. These acreages may be updated throughout the day and will be posted on Inciweb.

The Paradise Fire has grown to the west, prompting Tulare County Sheriff to issue a mandatory evacuation order for part of the community of Three Rivers. The area of Three Rivers under mandatory evacuation is the Mineral King Road in its entirety, areas along Sierra King Drive, Crest Lane, Hammond Drive, and Oak Grove Drive, and areas along Highway 198 from the intersection with Mineral King Road to the Sequoia National Park entrance station.

The remainder of the community of Three Rivers is under evacuation warning. The evacuation warning is not an order. It means that residents should prepare for the possibility of evacuation, so that they will be ready to mobilize and leave should the evacuation warning escalate to an evacuation order. Explore a map of the areas under evacuation warning and order, as well as other evacuation resources, at tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies/.

To view the video of last night’s community meeting at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, visit www.facebook.com/SequoiaKingsNPS/videos. The parks’ fire management operation will transition with a Southern-area Blue Type 1 National Incident Management Team tomorrow. Type 1 teams are equipped to handle the largest and highest-complexity emergency situations. Future community meetings will be scheduled when the team is in place.

The KNP Complex has been a full suppression incident since the discovery of the smokes the morning following the lightning storm. In the case of the Paradise Fire, extremely steep topography and a total lack of access has prevented any ground crew operations, and in the case of the Colony Fire, only a limited amount of ground crew access has been possible. Both fires are utilizing extensive aerial resources performing water and retardant drops.

Air quality is seriously affected in Three Rivers. Particulate matter readings have been in the “hazardous” range for much of the day. Communities further from the parks are also feeling air quality impacts. Track your local air quality at www.fire.airnow.gov.

For updates on the KNP Complex, follow https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/.

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SEKI NP:

The KNP Complex, ignited by lightning on the night of September 9, continues to grow in Sequoia National Park. The complex is comprised of the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire. The Paradise Fire is currently measured at 7,352 acres, and the Colony Fire is currently measured at 2,013 acres, for a combined total for the KNP Complex of 9,365 acres, with 0% containment.

Effective this morning, the Southern Area Blue Type 1 Incident Management Team is managing the KNP Complex under the leadership of Incident Commander Mark Morales. A community meeting is scheduled for September 17, 2021, at 7 p.m. at the Three Rivers Veterans Memorial Building.

Crews are preparing the Giant Forest before the fire reaches that area, by removing fuel and applying structure wrap on some of the iconic monarch sequoias that characterize the most famous area of Sequoia National Park. The fire continues to grow in all directions. In recent days, crews continue structure protection around NPS headquarters and housing areas at Ash Mountain. Air operations is providing support to crews on the ground as well as structure protection for cabins in the Mineral King area. Cal-Fire and Tulare County is providing structure protection efforts in the Three Rivers Community outside the park, including creating fire breaks with dozers.

At this time, there has been no change to evacuation orders and warnings. An evacuation order is in place for part of the community of Three Rivers. The area of Three Rivers under mandatory evacuation is the Mineral King Road in its entirety, areas along Sierra King Drive, Crest Lane, Hammond Drive, and Oak Grove Drive, and areas along Highway 198 from the intersection with Mineral King Road to the Sequoia National Park entrance station.

The remainder of the community of Three Rivers is under evacuation warning. The evacuation warning is not an order. It means that residents should prepare for the possibility of evacuation, so that they will be ready to mobilize and leave should the evacuation warning escalate to an evacuation order. Explore a map of the areas under evacuation warning and order, as well as other evacuation resources, at www.tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies.

Sequoia National Park is closed to the public. Kings Canyon National Park remains open, but air quality impacts are likely. Air quality is seriously affected in Three Rivers. Particulate matter readings have been in the “hazardous” range for much of the day. Communities further from the parks are also feeling air quality impacts. Track your local air quality at www.fire.airnow.gov.

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. For more info visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Information (NEW): (559) 640-7824 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), 2021.KNP@firenet.gov
InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/
Facebook/Twitter: SequoiaKingsNPS

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sfchro ... 464913.php

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SEKI NP:

KNP Complex Update – September 18, 2021
Acres: 17,857 (based on infrared flight) Percent Containment: 0%
Start Date: September 10, 2021 Cause: Lightning
Jurisdiction: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Resources: 416 personnel including 10 crews, 28 engines, 6 water tenders, and 8 helicopters

The KNP Complex, ignited by lightning on the night of September 9, continues to grow in Sequoia National Park. The two fires that comprised the complex, the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire, merged yesterday, and going forward will be considered a single fire.

Yesterday afternoon, smoke dispersed at the northeast end of the fire, and airflow increased, causing activity to pick up significantly. As of this morning, the fire has reached the vicinity of Red Fir maintenance area, with some spotting further north. Despite little to no relative humidity recovery overnight, fire growth overnight was fairly limited. The fire reached a small area of the Giant Forest yesterday, in the area known as the Four Guardsmen, where trees had been thoroughly prepped in recent days. The General Sherman Tree did not see fire yesterday. Hotshot crews are assessing on the ground this morning to ascertain if conditions are stable enough for more crews to reengage in this area.

By contrast, the southern end of the fire remained under a smoke inversion all day yesterday, with moderate fire behavior. The fire did not grow significantly in the direction of Three Rivers or park headquarters yesterday. Tulare County Fire and CAL FIRE continue to establish dozer lines and reinforce existing containment features, such as the Shepherd Saddle Road, between the community and the current fire footprint. Structure protection is underway in cabin communities along the Mineral King Road, with more resources assigned today to ramp up these efforts.

Winds are expected to pick up in and around the fire area. A red flag warning is in place starting at 5 p.m. today through Sunday. Crews are preparing for changes and possible significant increases in fire activity. There have been no changes to evacuation warnings or orders at this time. Residents currently under evacuation warning are urged to be ready to mobilize and leave should the warning escalate to an evacuation order. Explore a map of the areas under evacuation warning and order, as well as other evacuation resources, at www.tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies.

Sequoia National Park is closed to the public. Kings Canyon National Park remains open, but air quality impacts are significant. Air quality is seriously affected in Three Rivers. Particulate matter readings have been in the “hazardous” range for much of the day. Communities further from the parks are also feeling air quality impacts. Track your local air quality at www.fire.airnow.gov.

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. More info visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Information (NEW): 559-640-7824 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), 2021.KNP@firenet.gov
InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/
Facebook/Twitter: @SequoiaKingsNPS

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SEKI NP:

KNP Complex Update – September 19, 2021
Acres: 21,777 acres (based on infrared flight)
Percent Containment: 0%
Start Date: September 10, 2021
Cause: Lightning
Jurisdiction: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park
Resources: 614 personnel including 21 crews, 21 engines, 11 water tenders, and 8 helicopters

The KNP Complex, ignited by lightning on the night of September 9, continues to grow in Sequoia National Park. The two fires that comprised the complex, the Paradise Fire and the Colony Fire, merged Friday, and going forward will be considered a single fire.

There was minimal fire growth on the fire yesterday. Smoke cleared up in the afternoon, allowing air operations to resume direct attack on the fire in steep terrain inaccessible to fire crews. This includes areas on the southern perimeter of the fire nearest the Three Rivers community. Contingency dozer line construction for community protection was accomplished in areas southwest of the fire, and plans were made for further dozer fire line construction. Despite the fire reaching the Four Guardsmen in the Giant Forest, fuel removal efforts by firefighters, combined with structure wrap applied by crews to the base of the sequoia trees, successfully protected them. Fuel reduction burning will continue today as weather conditions allow.

The fire did not grow significantly in the direction of Three Rivers or park headquarters yesterday. Tulare County Fire and CAL FIRE continue to establish dozer lines and reinforce existing containment features, such as the Shepherd Saddle Road, between the community and the current fire footprint. Structure protection is underway in cabin communities along the Mineral King Road. More resources have arrived on the fire today, and direct suppression efforts will occur as weather conditions permit.

The red flag warning continues through today. Crews are preparing for changes and possibly significant increases in fire activity. There have been no changes to evacuation warnings or orders at this time, but especially those that are currently under evacuation warning are urged to be ready to mobilize and leave should the warning escalate to an evacuation order. Explore a map of the areas under evacuation warning and order, as well as other evacuation resources, at www.tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies. A Red Cross evacuation center is located at the Woodlake Community Center at 145 Magnolia St, Woodlake, CA.

Sequoia National Park is closed to the public. Kings Canyon National Park remains open, but air quality impacts are significant. Air quality is seriously affected in Three Rivers. Particulate matter readings have been in the “hazardous” range for much of the day. Communities further from the parks are also feeling air quality impacts. Track your local air quality at www.fire.airnow.gov.

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area. More info visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org.

Fire Information (NEW): (559) 640-7824 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), 2021.KNP@firenet.gov
InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/
Facebook/Twitter: @SequoiaKingsNPS

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SEKI NP:

Kings Canyon National Park Now Largely Closed
due to KNP Complex Fire

Large portions of Kings Canyon National Park have now been closed due to KNP Complex Fire activity, with further closures expected.

The closure includes:
All lands within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park west of the Pacific Crest Trail.
All lands of Kings Canyon National Park west of the Generals Highway and south of Highway 180.
All lands within the wilderness of Kings Canyon National Park west of the Pacific Crest Trail and south of the ridgeline which lies north of Ionian Basin.

For a map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon closures in effect visit go.nps.gov/SEKIClosures.

All campgrounds in Kings Canyon National Park were closed effective September 18 through at least September 25. This includes all campgrounds in Cedar Grove and Grant Grove. All concession services closed today, September 19, including lodging, retail, and food service. Access into wilderness from Kings Canyon trailheads is no longer permitted.

Grant Grove and Cedar Grove are currently open, but visitors should prepare for hazardous air quality, smoke, and low visibility. Visitor services are very limited in these areas. We recommend coming prepared with food, drinks, N95 masks, and a full tank of gas. These areas could close with little notice.

For current information we ask visitors to rely on web and social media, as many of our park employees that would typically provide information over the phone or in person have been evacuated or are under evacuation warning. Most current information about park closures and conditions can be found here: www.nps.gov/seki. Most current information about the KNP Complex Fire can be found here: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/.