SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 9, 2022 – Following a successful test burn this morning and a determination by the burn boss and fire management staff, ignitions have begun on the Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn in Sequoia National Park. Eight to nine days of ignitions are planned to complete these critical fuels treatment.

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 to the area on ignition days may experience up to 30-minute traffic delays for the safety of fire crews working along and near the Generals Highway during that time. Access to the General Sherman Tree will not be limited by the prescribed burn.

However, the network of trails in the Giant Forest is very complex. Trails closed during the prescribed burn and the post- burn period will be clearly flagged / marked. Visitors will not be able to hike between the General Sherman Tree and the Giant Forest Museum during this time. Additionally, hiking across the Giant Forest to Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow from the General Sherman Tree will not be possible during the prescribed burn.

Instead, visitors are encouraged to 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.

Visitors to the area on ignition days may experience moderate smoke impacts in the Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree, and Lodgepole areas. At night, smoke may be discernible in the parks’ lower elevations and in Three Rivers, CA. Research shows that regular prescribed burns produce less smoke than wildfire in areas where fire has been excluded. 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.

Regulation Change:
  Closure Order – Portion of a Park Area: Under the authority provided to the Superintendent in 36 CFR 1.5, the following park areas administered by the National Park Service within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are closed, effective at 6:00 PM June 8 2022 and will remain in place until further notice.

The following areas, roads and trails are closed to public access, as shown on the attached map:

Interior portion of the Hazelwood Prescribed Fire Area to include:
• Dead Giant Trail
• Washington Tree Trail
• Huckleberry Trail
• Alta Trail: From west at junction of Alta and Hazelwood Trail and from East at Junction of Alta and Washington Tree Trail
• Hazelwood Cutoff Trail: from junction of Alta Trail
• Rimrock Trail: From Hazelwood junction to Pinewood Service Road Interior portion of the Tharp’s Log Prescribed Fire Area to include:
• Alta Trail; from junction of Congress Trail to Junction of Wolverton cutoff trail
• Wolverton Cutoff Trail from Junction of Alta Trail east to Crescent creek
• Washington Tree Trail
• Trail of the Sequoias from Chief Sequoyah Tree East to Crescent Creek
• Circle Meadow Loop; east side of circle meadow loop from junction of Congress trail south to Washington Tree – circle Meadow Cutoff trail
• Portions of Crescent Meadow Loop, Crescent Meadow Tharp’s Log Trail, and Log Meadow Loop

Authority: 36 CFR 1.5(a)(1)(2)

Notice:
This administrative order applies to all individuals subject to the regulatory authority of the National Park Service (NPS) within the boundaries of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, except: • Employees of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks • Personnel with research interests within the prescribed fire units and with approval from the prescribed fire burn boss • Other individuals authorized by the Chief Ranger or their designee.

Finding: The parks have been performing prescribed burns in the Giant Forest area since 1979. By working with the area’s historical fire return interval, the parks are ensuring a diverse mosaic of fire history, which is a natural part of the ecosystem, and makes the area less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. Prescribed burns also promote the regeneration of giant sequoias by creating openings in the canopy, clearing the forest floor, and opening the cones, allowing seeds to disperse. The network of trails in the Giant Forest is very complex. Trails closed during the prescribed burn and the post-burn period will be clearly marked. Trails will be reopened only after the areas have been cleared of hazards and are deemed safe for public to enter.

This order is effective at 6:00 PM June 8, 2022, and will remain in effect until further notice. The effectiveness of this order will be assessed on an ongoing basis, and the order will be modified or rescinded when conditions warrant.

This Determination of Change is consistent with Categorical Exclusion A.8: Modifications or revisions to existing regulations or the promulgation of new regulations for NPS-administered areas, provided the modifications, revisions, or new regulations do not: a. increase public use to the extent of compromising the nature and character of the area or causing physical damage to it, b. introduce noncompatible uses that might compromise the nature and characteristics of the area or cause physical damage to it, c. conflict with adjacent ownerships or land uses, or d. cause a nuisance to adjacent owners or occupants.  

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 7, 2022 – Scheduled to start June 9, 2022, fire managers will conduct the 752-acre Tharps-Hazelwood Prescribed Burn in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. This prescribed burn is scheduled to take 8-9 days to complete. 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. Access to the General Sherman Tree will not be limited by the prescribed burn.

The parks have been performing prescribed burns in the Giant Forest area since 1979. By working with the area’s historical fire return interval, which is ten to sixteen years, the parks are ensuring a diverse mosaic of fire history, which is a natural part of the ecosystem, and makes the area less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. Prescribed burns also promote the regeneration of giant sequoias by creating openings in the canopy, clearing the forest floor, and opening the cones, allowing seeds to disperse. 

The benefit of lower-intensity prescribed fire in preventing catastrophic high-intensity wildfire was demonstrated when last year’s KNP Complex Fire was easily suppressed when it reached the Giant Forest, which had been regularly treated with prescribed fire for decades. Compare that to areas of the park that had not been treated with prescribed fire. In many of these heavy fuel areas the fire burned so intensely that it destroyed vast amounts of forest, tragically killed monarch giant sequoias, and threatened communities outside the parks.

“Considering the devastating losses to iconic giant sequoias in the past two fire years," shared Parks Superintendent Clay Jordan, “we must maintain a healthy, resilient Giant Forest, the cherished giant sequoia grove and home to the largest tree in the world.”

The network of trails in the Giant Forest is very complex. Trails closed during the prescribed burn and the post- burn period will be clearly marked. Visitors to the area on ignition days may experience up to 30-minute traffic delays for the safety of fire crews working along the Generals Highway during that time.

Visitors will not be able to hike between the General Sherman Tree and the Giant Forest Museum during this time. Instead, visitors are encouraged to use the free Sequoia Shuttle between these points. More info can be found at https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/parktransit.htm. Additionally, hiking across the Giant Forest to Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow from the General Sherman Tree will not be possible during the prescribed burn.

Visitors to the area on ignition days may experience moderate smoke impacts in the Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree, and Lodgepole areas. At night, smoke may be discernible in the parks’ lower elevations and in Three Rivers, CA. Research shows that regular prescribed burns produce less smoke than wildfire in areas where fire has been excluded. 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, 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.

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SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 6, 2022 – As of this afternoon, ignitions are complete on the 2022 Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn in Sequoia National Park. In all, approximately XX acres between the Sequoia National Park entrance station and the Foothills Visitor Center, one mile inside the park were treated. Additional acres will be treated manually through the grazing of the parks’ stock animals or through weed eating.

“Completing this annual prescribed burn by removing this highly flammable and invasive grass now ensures our parks’ historic assets and infrastructure are protected from an unwanted wildfire during the peak of the fire year this summer,” said Battalion Chief Cristian Lopez, Ash Mountain Burn Boss.

Visitors to the parks may see fire effects along the Generals Highway between the Sequoia National Park Entrance Station and the Foothills Visitor Center and are asked to exercise caution near recently burned areas, as embers and hot spots can persist after active fire has stopped. Light smoke may be visible in the area for several days as the remaining fuels continue to be consumed.

Information about this prescribed burn will be posted to the parks’ website, social media pages, and Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8129/

-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.

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SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 5, 2022 – Following a successful test burn and with concurrence from fire management staff and parks’ leadership, the 2022 Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn has started. Ignitions will continue through tomorrow June 6, 2022

While conducting prescribed burns, fire managers constantly take weather readings and monitor fire behavior to ensure that projects like this are not only being safely done but also meeting objectives. Crews are prepared to stop ignitions should conditions become unsuitable for burning, and resume when conditions return to an appropriate range. Ignitions on this prescribed burn are occurring early in the morning to take advantage of the cooler temperatures.

The 2022 Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn consists of 5 segments, for a total of approximately 15 acres between the Sequoia National Park entrance station and the Foothills Visitor Center, one mile inside the park.

Information about this prescribed burn will be posted to the parks’ website, social media pages, and Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8129/

Visitors may see smoke, active fire, and firefighters during the burn, and are asked to drive slowly and follow all firefighter instructions. Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal and short-lived, as the vegetation in the unit is chiefly fine fuels that will be consumed quickly. Visitors can learn more about air quality and smoke by visiting www.fire.airnow.gov or www.valleyair.org. 

-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.

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SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 2, 2022 – Fire managers with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have scheduled the annual Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn in the foothills of Sequoia National Park, near the parks’ headquarters and entrance station along the main road, Generals Highway. Ignitions are planned to begin on June 5, 2022, and continue through June 6, 2022.

Prescribed burning in the parks’ foothills ecosystem reduces concentrations of fine fuels such as exotic grasses that aid in the rapid spread of wildfire; a critical factor that later in the year could limit access for first responders and hamper evacuations.  

“These treated areas gave firefighting resources a safer area to engage and be successful as KNP Complex Fire of 2021 bore down on the volatile foothill fuels around the park’s headquarters and the community of Three Rivers” said Leif Mathiesen, parks’ deputy fire management officer. “This allowed fire managers to more quickly reallocate resources to portions of the fire threatening the community of Three Rivers and threatened natural and cultural resources and infrastructure inside the park. We need to continue to have that advantage in the foothill zone going forward.”

The 2022 Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn consists of 5 segments, for a total of approximately 15 acres between the Sequoia National Park entrance station and the Foothills Visitor Center, one mile inside the park. The remaining acres in the foothills are being treated manually through mowing or grazing by the parks’ stock animals.

Information about this prescribed burn will be posted to the parks’ website, social media pages, and Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8129/

Visitors may see smoke, active fire, and firefighters during the burn, and are asked to drive slowly and follow all firefighter instructions. Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal and short-lived, as the vegetation in the unit is chiefly fine fuels that will be consumed quickly. Visitors can learn more about air quality and smoke by visiting www.fire.airnow.gov or www.valleyair.org. 

-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.

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1. Regulation change: 

 

The following area in the Ash Mountain foothills is temporarily closed to all individuals except firefighters, overhead personnel assigned to the Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn, or other NPS individuals approved by the Burn Boss:

·        The interior of the Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn unit, segments 1, 2, 8, 9, 11.

·        Ash Mountain River Trail

o   The trail leading from the Ash Mountain Picnic Area to the Kaweah River, which passes through Segment 8 of the prescribed burn.

 

2. Previous regulation(s) affected by this change: 

This is a temporary closure due to prescribed fire activity.

 

3. Date of this Regulation Change:         

Sunday, June 5, 2022

 

4. Reasons for change:

The fire activity along the trails and inside the burn unit boundary creates a hazardous condition for the public. Adequate trails and features exist in the nearby areas that can provide a comparable visitor experience.

 

5. Effective Date(s): 

The closure will become effective at 0600 hours on June 5, 2022. This closure will remain in effect until conditions in the area of the prescribed fire have progressed to a stage where minimal public hazard remains, as determined by the Burn Boss or a Parks Fire Management Officer. 

 

6. Authority for adoption: Code of Federal Regulations, 36 CFR, Part 1.5

La Jara, CO — June 4, 2022 – The Menkhaven Fire is now reported to be 90% contained at 242 acres. Management of the fire was transferred to a Type 4 Incident Commander at 9:00 pm last evening. The remaining 2 engines and handcrew continue to seek out any remaining hotspots within the fire perimeter. Crews are also removing all unneeded equipment from the area. Firefighters will remain on scene for several more days as additional hotspots may be found. Smoke is expected to occasionally be seen from the fire’s interior.

The incident commanders and agency leadership from Conejos County, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control and the Rio Grande National Forest would like to thank the community for their graciousness and commitment to the management of the fire and their contribution to handling all of the other ways that it affected our community. They also want to thank of all the firefighters and responders for their hard work. Our appreciation runs deep.

This will be the final update on the fire from the Rio Grande National Forest. The Inciweb page may be updated if significant new information is made available. Find the incident here: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8124/

Menkhaven Fire Facts

·         Reported: 3:15 pm on Saturday, May 28, 2022

·         Size: 242 acres

·         Containment: 90%

·         Cause: Tree on a power line

·         Location: Approximately 7 miles west of Fox Creek, CO on Colorado Highway 17 near Cumbres Pass

·         Incident Commander – Devin Haynie (Type 4 - CDFPC)

·         Firefighters assigned: 35

·         Fuels: Ponderosa, mixed conifer (Douglas Fir, White Fir), Aspen, timber litter

The Rio Grande National Forest remains in Stage 1 fire restrictions. No campfires are allowed, unless in developed recreations sites. See the full restrictions here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/notices/?cid=STELPRDB5143145 37

For information on the Rio Grande National Forest, call (719) 850-2374, visit the forest website, or follow us on our Facebook page or Twitter.

### USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.  

La Jara, CO — May 28, 2022 – The Menkhaven Fire was reported around 3:00 today near milepost 20 on Colorado State Highway 17 at the Menkhaven subdivision approximately 18 miles west of Antonito, CO. The subdivision was evacuated along with all homes north of highway 17 between Horca and Fox Creek according to San Luis Valley Emergency Management. The Aspen Glade campground on the Conejos Peak Ranger District has been placed on pre-evacuation standby. Highway 17 is closed in the area.
The fire is burning in a steep canyon in mixed conifer fuels with brush and aspen. The size of the fire was mapped at approximately 197 acres in the early evening by the Multi-Mission Aircraft. Numerous engines from Conejos County, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control, and the Rio Grande National Forest are on scene, working to suppress the fire. Air tankers were ordered and are enroute. The helicopter that was ordered was grounded due to high winds. A Type 3 Incident Commander has assumed command. Hot shot crews and various overhead resources have also been ordered.

Forest Road #101 has been closed at Fox Creek and the forest boundary north of Horca.
The Rio Grande National Forest is in Stage 1 fire restrictions. No campfires are allowed, unless in developed recreations sites. See the full restrictions here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/riogrande/notices/?cid=STELPRDB5143145

We will continue to post fire updates on our Facebook page.
For information on the Rio Grande National Forest, call (719) 850-2374, visit the forest website, or follow us on our Facebook page or Twitter.   

Conejos County Sheriff News Release

 

Conejos County Sheriff Releases Cause of Menkhaven Fire

For Immediate Release

Antonito, Colo – May 31, 2022 – Sheriff Garth Crowther announced today that the Menkhaven fire was caused by sparks from a tree dropping on a powerline in the Menkhaven area west of Fox Creek, CO on May 28 at approximately 3:15 pm. Sheriff Crowther stated that the owners of the powerline have cooperated with the investigation from the beginning. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with federal agents and law enforcement officers and remains ongoing.

The Menkhaven Fire was reported to be 242 acres and 50% contained as of 7:00 p.m. Monday evening. “The incredible local response to the fire has left me in awe,” said Sheriff Crowther. “I would like to thank all of the agencies and their responders for their dedication and hard work on this very challenging incident. This response truly reflects who we are as a San Luis Valley community.”

The sheriff assures residents that the fire managers will remain on scene as long as needed, to ensure the risk to the community from this fire has been eliminated.

For information on the Menkhaven Fire please visit the sheriffs Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/conejos.sheri