Single Publication

Unified Command: CIIMT5 & CAL FIRE 

Fire Size: 3,017 acres 

Percent Contained: 0% 

Personnel: 918

Cause: Lightning

Start Date: Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 10:05 AM

Location: Southeast of Three Rivers, CA

COFFEE POT FIRE PUBLIC MEETING: A public meeting about the Coffee Pot Fire will be held on Monday, August 26, at 6:00 PM. The meeting will occur at the Three Rivers Memorial Building, 43490 Sierra Drive, Three Rivers. If you can't attend in person, you can watch the meeting live on the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Facebook page @SequoiaKingsNPS or YouTube @sequoiaandkingscanyonnps5018.

FIRE INFORMATION: A Public Information Officer will be at the Three Rivers Village Market daily from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM to provide fire information and answer questions.

CURRENT SITUATION: The Coffee Pot Fire continued to slowly advance in all directions yesterday, due in part to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Nearly 50 percent of the indirect control lines are complete. Control lines between South Fork Drive and Cinnamon Gap, and Cinnamon Gap to the top of Case Mountain are nearing completion. Any new fire growth today will likely be limited to areas with easily combustible vegetation, such as dead branches, leaves, and needles.

Today, firefighters will continue using a full suppression strategy. The main focus for fire crews and dozers is to finish building indirect control lines to protect the communities. Hoses and pumps are being added along the indirect control lines on the south and west flanks. In addition, firefighters are completing the indirect line north of the historic cabins to the Mineral King Road. Water-dropping planes and helicopters have supported these efforts by reducing the fire's intensity. Fire crews will also keep working in the Giant Sequoia groves adjacent to Case Mountain, clearing vegetation around the trees to decrease fire intensity.

WEATHER: The weather will be partly cloudy today, becoming hazy in the afternoon. Cooler than normal temperatures continue, with light variable winds. Humidity levels will remain higher than average. Clouds will lift higher in the afternoon but may linger through the day. Tomorrow will be several degrees warmer, but temperatures remain below normal. 

SMOKE IMPACTS: This morning, expect cloudy and hazy skies to limit mountain visibility, with less surface impacts in the valley and Sierra foothills. Locations from Lake Kaweah eastward will see continued hazy skies most of the day with conditions that are Moderate to Unsafe for Sensitive Groups. The bulk of today's smoke will settle in the South and East Forks of Kaweah Creek between Hammond and Mineral King Station. Wind patterns will continue to channel the smoke along these river drainages, causing short periods of Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy conditions in Hammond, Mineral King, and the Giant Sequoia Forest Village. Visitors and residents in these areas can expect to smell smoke, see hazy skies, and experience mild irritation from the smoke particles. Take precautions to reduce outdoor activities, especially those in sensitive groups. For more information on current wildfire smoke impacts in your community, please visit AirNow.gov or fire.airnow.gov.

HIGHWAY AND ROAD IMPACTS: Highway 198, Mineral King Road, and Generals Highway in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are open. Due to heavy equipment and personnel working on Mineral King Road, expect 30-minute delays or longer. Please plan accordingly. Visitors should exercise extreme caution, stay alert, and drive slowly to keep themselves and fire crews safe.

BLM AND PARK CLOSURES: The portion of South Fork Drive within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and trails accessed from the road, including the Lady Bug and Garfield Grove Trails, are closed. Park closure information is available online at nps.gov/seki. The Bureau of Land Management has also issued a closure of the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area at blm.gov/press-release.

EVACUATION WARNING: An Evacuation WARNING has been issued for TLC Zones TLC-E128-B and TLC-E094-B, area north of South Fork Drive, East of Skyline Drive (Salt Creek Fire Control Road), South of Mineral King Road, and West of the National Park Boundary. An evacuation WARNING means you should prepare to evacuate the area should the fire approach your home, or, if ordered to do so. Please stay clear and out of the areas affected by the fire. If there is an emergency, please dial 911. For more regarding evacuations, alert notifications, and zone information, please visit  tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, we can’t. For more information, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.