Single Publication

 Current Situation: Saturday evening, September 25, 2021 (also posted on Sequoia National Forest's Facebook page)

 The Windy Fire is currently estimated to be 74,531 acres (a 3,182-acre increase from Saturday morning’s reported acreage). Containment is 2 percent. The acreage value is a snapshot in time, and because this fire remains active overnight, expect another increase in acreage tomorrow morning. The infrared flight also occurs at night, providing fire personnel in the situation unit more accurate data to estimate the fire’s size and perimeter.

 The fire was most active on the south and southeast sides of the fire, specifically in the Sugarloaf, California Hot Springs, and Pine Flat areas. Firefighters have reported some structures on the southern part of the fire have been damaged; the number and locations will be available as soon as it is safe for assessment teams to access the areas. The Sugarloaf and Pine Flat areas are the priority for firefighters working the night shift.

 The fire was also active on the northeast side in the Peppermint area, and crews continue to improve defensible space around structures when and where it is feasible. They will remain in the Peppermint area tonight. Crews working on the north side near Camp Nelson today reported no issues. The fire made some runs westward in the Tule River Indian Reservation, and crews are scouting the area for suitable places to construct contingency firelines.

 Firefighters involved in planning operations have requested additional resources, specifically to increase the robustness of the night shift. The reality is that other fires are also needing personnel and equipment, so the incident might not receive everything requested.

 A dry cold front is expected to move into the area early to mid-week, bringing cooler, moister weather, but also stronger winds. At tonight’s briefing, the incident fire behavior analyst told fire managers and crews that the next couple days will tell us if the Cedar Fire burn scar to the south will have a moderating effect on current fire behavior.

 A lot of work has been done to construct dozer line around the communities of Pine Flat and California Hot Springs. Crews are using those dozer lines and actively working to protect those communities from the fire.