Single Publication

Resources: 2,342 personnel, 66 hand crews, 128 engines, 17 helicopters, 16 dozers, 11 water tenders
Structures Threatened: 2,000 Residences, 100 Commercial Buildings
Structures Destroyed: 14 Residences, 14 Outbuildings, 2 Commercial Buildings
Injuries: 4

EVACUATION ORDER DOWNGRADED: Effective at 12 noon today, Sheriff Boudreaux will downgrade the Evacuation Order to an Evacuation Warning for the following communities: Sugarloaf Village (NOT including Sugarloaf Saw Mill), Panorama Heights, Poso Park, Idlewild, Pleasant View, Balance Rock, Posey, and Vincent Ranch. The boundaries will be from Sugarloaf Peak west to Buck Peak; south to Vincent Ranch at the Tulare/ Kern County Line; east to Forest Service Road 24S07; and north to Sugarloaf Peak.  At this time, only residents are permitted to return with identification and proof of residency.

TULARE COUNTY RESIDENT INFORMATION: 14 homes and 14 outbuildings have been reported destroyed. Residents requesting information on the status of their property can call the Tulare County Information Hotline at (559) 802-9790.

CURRENT SITUATION: The Windy Fire is 91,237, acres with 52% containment and is a full suppression fire. The fire is burning on the Tule River Indian Reservation and the Sequoia National Forest, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The fire perimeter increased 1,433 acres in the last 24 hours.

Smoke from both the Windy Fire and the KNP Complex are causing very unhealthy air quality. Locations on the Tule River Indian Reservation are registering some of the worst air quality in the nation. Individuals with existing respiratory, lung or heart conditions should limit their exposure by staying indoors.

Another very warm and dry night, with poor humidity recovery, was observed over the fire area.  A small fire (2-acres) was reported outside of the perimeter, near White River, and crews are working to contain it. The top priority continues to be the southwest side where crews continue to make good progress securing containment lines and providing structure defense around Sugarloaf and Sugarloaf Mountain Park north towards Pine Flat and California Hot Springs. Crews are constructing and improving indirect (away from the fire’s edge) containment lines from M50 (at the switchbacks) northwest to Lone Pine Mountain and looking for opportunities to construct direct handline at the fire’s edge.

On the northwest side, crews continue to construct direct and indirect containment lines from Wheatons south to Lone Pine Mountain on the Tule River Indian Reservation. If conditions permit, crews will use a UAS Drone (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) to assist with a tactical firing operation.  The tactical firing operation will remove vegetation along the indirect containment line and reduce the threat of the fire advancing to the west.

On the north side, firefighters continue tactical patrols (extinguishing any burning vegetation, stumps, etc.)  along the Coy Flat Road (FS Road 21S94) northeast to Coy Flat. Crews will continue to improve containment lines around the structures in Mountain Aire and Rogers Camp.  On the northeast side near Ponderosa, crews continue holding and improving containment lines east to the Lloyd Meadow Road (FS Road 22S28) and south to Johnsondale. Crews will continue improving containment lines and extinguishing any burning stumps, trees and vegetation.

On the east side, in the Kern River Canyon, the fire continues to hold on the upper west slope between Flynn Canyon south to Baker Peak. Today, firefighters continue to build direct containment lines south from Johnsondale to Speas Ridge. If the smoke inversion lifts, helicopters and the Bombardier CL-515, (Super Scooper) will be used to drop retardant and water on the upper ridge to slow the fire’s movement east towards the Kern River. Firefighters will also remove brush and vegetation along the Whiskey Flat Trail (32E35) to improve a secondary containment line. Crews will continue structure defense in Fairview.

On the south side, the fire has not moved much since hitting the 2016 Cedar Fire burn scar which has allowed crews to construct direct handline at the fire’s edge west towards Sugarloaf. Outside of the containment lines, all of the spot fires burning in the pockets of dead and down trees have been contained.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Very dry and warm conditions with low humidity are forecasted for today.

EVACUATION ORDERS: The following information is from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.  Evacuation orders and warnings can change suddenly, please refer to https://tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies/  for the Windy Fire Evacuation Warning Area Map. For more information, please call 2-1-1.

• California Hot Springs and Pine Flat areas. The evacuation order includes M-504 at Tyler Creek, Southeast to Pine Flat, West to M-56 and Fire Control Road, North up Tyler Creek Road. This includes structures, side roads, and attached roads.
• Sugarloaf Sawmill.
• Mountain Aire and Rogers Camp.
• Johnsondale and Camp Whitsett, including M107 at Dome Rock, east to Lloyd Meadow Road (FS Road 22S82), south to M99 at Sherman Pass Road, west to M107 and M50.
• The area of McNally’s from Sherman Pass Road to Corral Creek.

• Both sides of the Kern River from the Gold Ledge Campground south to Riverkern, Tulare County, at the Tulare/Kern border. This warning will include all private properties, businesses, residences, structures, campsites, campgrounds, Forest Service roads, access roads, attached roads, and trails.
• Alpine Village, Camp Nelson, Cedar Slope, Coy Flat, Pierpoint, Quaking Aspen, Ponderosa, and Sequoia Crest.
• Sugarloaf Village, Panorama Heights, Poso Park, Idlewild, Pleasant View, Balance Rock, Posey, and Vincent Ranch. The boundaries will be from Sugarloaf Peak west to Buck Peak; south to Vincent Ranch at the Tulare/ Kern County Line; east to Forest Service Road 24S07; and north to Sugarloaf Peak.

• At Jack Ranch Road and Old Stage Road
• Quaking Aspen and M107
• MT99 at Gold Ledge Campground
• MT56 at Fountain Springs