Windy Fire Update
Friday, September 24, 2021
RESOURCES: 1,540 personnel, 43 hand crews, 103 engines, 21 helicopters, 13 dozers, 4 water tenders Structures Threatened: 1,750 Residences, Commercial 75, Structures Destroyed: 0, Commercial, 2
Today, California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 (CA IIMT 5) assumed command of the Windy Fire for the Bureau of Indian Affairs on behalf of the Tule River Indian Tribe, the Sequoia National Forest and Tulare County Fire Department.
CURRENT SITUATION: The Windy Fire is 56,802 acres with 5% containment. The fire is burning on the Tule River Indian Reservation and the Sequoia National Forest, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument. On Wednesday, a weather front with increased winds moved through the area, lifting the smoke inversion and causing the fire to rapidly grow around the perimeter. The fire has impacted several giant sequoia groves and specialists are evaluating the giant sequoia trees to determine the impacts.
Last night, the fire was very active on the south and southwest flank on Greenhorn Mountain Ridge and along Sugarloaf Road (FS Road 23S16) . The fire is now ½ to ¾ mile from California Hot Springs. Two spot fires were reported near California Hot Springs on Lion Ridge and above the Forest Service Work Center.
Today, the priority for firefighters will be structure protection in California Hot Springs south towards Pine Flat, Ponderosa and Camp Nelson. A Mandatory Evacuation Order has been issued for California Hot Springs and Pine Flat areas.
Along the westside, on the Tule River Indian Reservation, crews will continue to hold and advance the containment lines, looking for opportunities to build direct (at the fire’s edge) and indirect containment lines to stop the fire’s progress to the west. Crews are looking to use the 2&¼ Road to contain a small slop over across the line.
On the north side, crews will strengthen and improve containment lines down Crawford Road (FS Road 21S94) to Coy Flat. On the northeast side, crews continue to provide structure protection around Ponderosa and look for any potential spot fires. On the east side, along Lloyd Meadow Road (FS Road 22S28) , crews will continue to use the road to strengthen containment lines south to the M99 Road. When conditions are favorable, crews will use a defensible firing operation to remove vegetation between the active fire front and east side of the road.
WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR: Smoky, warm and dry conditions will persist across the fire area. Afternoon temperatures will climb into the upper 70s to lower 80s. Humidity will drop into 10 to 20% range today with poor recovery tonight.
EVACUATIONS ORDERS: The following information is from the Tulare County Sherriff’s Office. Evacuation orders and warnings can change suddenly. Please refer to https://tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies/ for Windy Fire Evacuation Warning Area Map. Please call 2-1-1 for more information.
- 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
- Camp Nelson and surrounding communities
- 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.
- Ponderosa and Quaking Aspen. The warning area includes M107 at Dome Rock, north to Highway 190/M90 at North Road (FS Road 21S50), east to Route 21S05, at Needles Trail, south to Lloyd Meadow at Lower Peppermint Road (FS Road 22S82).
- The areas of McNally’s. From Sherman Pass Road to Corral Creek
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION ALERTS: Tulare County residents can sign up to receive county emergency notifications by registering at AlertTC.com.
ROAD CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS:
- M56 at Tyler Creek Fire Station
- Hwy 190 at Wishon cutoff
- M99 is closed north at Gold Ledge Campground
DAILY SMOKE OUTLOOK: https://wildlandfiresmoke.net/outlooks/SouthernSierra-Sequoia AirNow: Fire and Smoke Map: https://fire.airnow.gov/
SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST CLOSURES: Please refer to https://www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia for more information and a map of the closed areas.
HUNTING IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST: Is possible outside of Forest Closure areas. Please refer to the link above for the closure areas to avoid. Please note that Sherman Pass Road is closed to Blackrock.
MEDIA: Please check in with Information (559) 214-1260 (8am-8pm) for field conditions and advisories.
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