Cypress Mill Road Fire Update 6/9/22 1:00pm

Size: 978 acres

Containment: 85%

Cause: Human

Date Started: 6/7/2022

The Cypress Mill Road Fire is 978 acres and 85% contained. Acreage update is a result of more detailed mapping. Crews are continuing to improve dozer lines where possible and mop up and patrol the fire. On Tuesday, fire behavior was minimal with a few smokes showing in the fires interior. 

Another hot day will be in store with an afternoon high in the upper 90s to near 100 degrees as mostly sunny skies trend by the afternoon. The relative humidity will drop into the 25 to 30 percent range this afternoon. Southerly winds will trend with sustained 20 foot winds up to around 10 mph with slightly higher gusts. 

Cypress Mill Road Fire Update 6/8/22 8:00am

Size: 940

Containment: 75%

Cause: Unknown

Date Started: 6/7/2022

The Cypress Mill Road Fire is now 940 acres and is 75% contained. Better acreage was taken using GPS. 19 structures were threatened and saved on Tuesday afternoon, and no evacuations or closures are in place. All dozer containment lines have been completed by crews overnight. 

Another day of excessive heat, with low humidity and high winds is forecasted for Wednesday. The fire will be staffed Wednesday with heavy equipment crews from the TAMFS Marble Falls IA Task Force, TAMFS Fredericksburg Task Force, TAMFS Smithville Task Force, 4 engine strike team from TAMFS Northwest Branch, and local fire departments. A reconnaissance flight has been requested for Wednesday morning to give ground crews a good size-up of actions needed. 

Weather: Dry conditions and partly sunny skies are expected in the area today. Expect sustained southerly-southeasterly 20 foot winds in the 9-14 MPH range through late afternoon, with gusts in excess of 20 MPH possible. Minimum humidity values in the low twenties are expected. Nearly full recovery of humidity values to  approximately 93 percent will occur overnight tonight as  southerly-southeasterly 20 foot flow continues. Winds should  remain breezy, with sustained values ranging from 8-10 MPH and  gusts briefly reaching 20 MPH. Slightly higher afternoon  humidities at/near thirty percent are anticipated Thursday  afternoon, as twenty foot winds begin to turn more south-southwesterly. Sustained speeds ranging from 8-10 MPH are likely, with afternoon gusts ranging from 15-20 MPH.

Announcements: At approximately 4:45pm on Tuesday, [Blanco] County Judge Brett Bray declared a state of disaster related to the risk of wildfires, and issued an order prohibiting all outdoor burning effective immediately.

Cypress Mill Road Fire Update 6/7/22 8:45pm

Size: 500

Containment: 50%

Cause: Unknown

Date Started: 6/7/2022

The Cypress Mill Road Fire is estimated at 500 acres and is 50% contained. 5 bulldozers, 9 engines, 1 helicopter, 3 airplanes, including 1 large air tanker (LAT), and Travis County Starflight have assisted. 5 structures were directly threatened and saved by local resources. Dozers are continuing to make direct containment line on the fire perimeter, with engine crews mopping up hot spots along the fire’s edge. 

Fire behavior is becoming less active as humidity is increasing and is forecasted to recover to near 90% overnight. Another day of excessive heat, with low humidity and high winds is forecasted for Wednesday. 

Lincoln Smith Fire Update 6/7/22 8:00am

Size: 119 acres

Containment: 70%

Cause: Unknown

The Lincoln Smith Fire is now 70% contained. Better mapping increased the total acreage to 119. Forward progression has been stopped and crews have completed building dozer line around the fire perimeter. The incident is now moving into mop-up and patrol status. A four engine strike team will join the resources on the fire on Tuesday to assist with mopping up hot spots and holding the containment lines. 

A heat advisory will be in effect from 1pm to 9pm Tuesday, with high temperatures around 102 at the fire. Minimum humidity will fall to 25 percent, and winds will be southerly 8-10 mph with gusts to 17mph. 

 Lincoln Smith Fire Update 10:00am 6/7/2022

Size: 75 acres
Containment: 40%
Cause: Unknown

Crews on the Lincoln Smith Fire are continuing containment line construction on Monday. Helicopter crews were released at the end of shift on Sunday. A third TAMFS dozer unit from the Lost Pines Task Force will join the Marble Falls IA crews this morning to assist with building containment line. Rough terrain and thick fuels are making progress of line construction and access slow. No evacuations or closures are in place. 

Weather Concerns: Elevated to near critical fire weather conditions will continue Monday. Hot temperatures of 100 to 103 on Monday afternoon will contribute to low afternoon RH values in upper 20s to low 30s. Southerly winds will also remain breezy, with some gusts 25 to 30 mph. No precipitation is forecasted.

 Cienegita Fire Update 
 June 7, 2022 
 
Quick Facts Cienegita Fire 

Cienegita Fire Update 
June 6, 2022 
 
 Quick Facts Cienegita Fire 

Cienegita Fire Update 
 June 5, 2022 

Quick Facts 
Cienegita Fire 

Update June 7th 8:00 pm

The Contact Creek Fire is now measured at 8,127 acres based off imagery gathered on June 6th at 1:40 pm. Most of the fire perimeter has burned into natural boundaries (sparse available fuels at higher elevations, lakes and streams).  Based on VIIRS Satellite heat derived detection points, an area of the northwestern, portion of the southern, and the eastern flanks remain of the fire remain active. Cooler and wetter conditions are anticipated to arrive in the next five days. However, until the fire area receives a wetting rain event, or the perimeter consumes available fuels up to a natural barrier, expect diminished but incremental growth.
 
Also burning is the Idavain Fire (#218), 25 miles east of King Salmon and 2 miles south of Idavain Lake, which started on June 6, 2022.  The fire is being monitored by National Park Service and Alaska Division of Forestry personnel as it burns in a limited management area in Katmai National Park & Preserve.  Fuels include tundra, grass, and mixed fuels.  

June 5th

The Contact Creek Fire (#151), which started 40 miles southeast of King Salmon, is now reported at 6,632 acres as of 1pm June 4th. The persistence of dry conditions and record heat on the Katmai peninsula has contributed to fire growth. Fire #151 is in a limited management area in Katmai National Park and Preserve, and officials from the National Park Service and Department of Forestry are continuing to actively monitor the fire’s progress.

Gathered from recent aerial observation, roughly 70% of the fire’s perimeter is no longer growing due to creeks 6-10 feet wide creating a natural barrier. The entire north and northeast sides of the fire look to be held up on creeks of this size, and the sections of perimeter left burning are expected to run into similar streams that will halt growth within the next several days.

Residents in Southwest Alaska may see smoke in the King Salmon area due to this fire. The National Park Service will continue to monitor this incident and further updates will be issued.   
 
Contact Creek Fire AK Fire Info 

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 17, 2022 – Fire staff completed ignitions on the last segment of the Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn unit last evening, for a total of 752-acres treated since Thursday, June 9, 2022. With ignitions complete, firefighters will continue to patrol the area as vegetation inside the unit burns down. Access to the General Sherman Tree remains open from the Sherman Tree parking lots.

The Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn is located in the heart of the Giant Forest and roughly half of a mile northeast of the Giant Forest Museum.

Visitors driving or hiking in the area between Lodgepole and Giant Forest should expect to see smoke and/or areas of active flame, as the area may continue to smolder for weeks. The smoke density will lessen as fuels within the prescribed burn area are consumed and ultimately self-extinguish. This is normal.

This project was originally planned for last spring but was postponed due to site conditions being too dry at the time. “I am relieved we were able to complete this critical prescribed burn,” said Superintendent Clay Jordan. “Last year’s KNP Complex Fire demonstrated how important low-intensity recent fire history is in protecting giant sequoia groves from catastrophic wildfire.”

Trails closed during this period will be clearly flagged / marked. For your safety, visitors are asked to exercise caution, stay on trails, and observe signs and directions from park staff. Firefighters and park management are continually assessing the area to determine when fire activity will be sufficiently reduced to allow public access to the remaining closed trails.

Visitors will not be able to hike between the General Sherman Tree and the Giant Forest Museum at this time. Additionally, hiking across the Giant Forest to Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow from the General Sherman Tree will not be possible until a later date. Please use the free Sequoia Shuttle between these points. More info can be found at https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/parktransit.htm with schedules and route information.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks work with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to coordinate and regulate smoke contributions to the airshed. Visitors can learn more about air quality and smoke by visiting https://fire.airnow.gov or www.valleyair.org.

For more information on this prescribed burn such as the map, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8130/

-NPS-

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program

For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.