Citizens needing Red Cross Assistance due to the Sequoia Complex (#SQFComplex) Wildfire, please call 1-800-Red Cross  (1-800-733-2767) and follow the menus for California wildfires.  For information: https://www.facebook.com/RedCrossCCR/  
 
The nearest Red Cross evacuation center is in Fresno:  Clovis North High School at 2770 E. International Ave, Fresno, CA 93730.   

Sequoia Complex (#SQFComplex) Fire Update

Sequoia and Inyo National Forests

September 8, 2020

Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1

Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander

Fire Information: 559-697-5148, 8 AM-8 PM

Email: sqfcomplex2020@gmail.com

Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF     www.facebook.com/inyonf

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TulareCountyFireDepartment

Twitter: @sequoiaforest and @Inyo_NF

Incident Statistics

Location: 25 miles N of Kernville, CA

Date of origin: 8/19/20 Cause: Lightning

Size: 62,887 acres           

Containment: 7%

Cost: $13.5 million         

Injuries: 11

Civilians evacuated: 1,433

Structures threatened: 838

Resources

Hand Crews: 13

Engines: 49

Water-tenders: 19

Dozers: 8

Helicopters: 8   

Personnel: 792
 

Virtual Community Meeting 6 PM tonight

Broadcast via Facebook Live at: www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF

Operational video briefings are posted to the Sequoia NF Facebook site daily.

On 9/7/2020, The USDA Forest Service issued emergency forest closures and emergency fire restrictions for the Pacific Southwest Region. These orders affect eight National Forests, including the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests.

Sequoia (#SQF) Complex: The complex includes the 62,389 acre Castle fire and the 498 acre Shotgun fire.

Castle Fire: On Monday afternoon, northwest winds pushed active fire on the eastern flank of the fire towards Little Horse Meadows. Structure protection groups remained ready through the night at Beach Meadows. Along the southern edge, fire was held along the Kern River towards Lion Meadows. Due to the fire being pushed on the southeast corner, direct firefighting tactics on the ground and retardant from air resources were used in this area. On the western flank of the fire, operations personnel began the work of scouting the fire’s edge that reached into Freeman Grove. A new fire start in Pierpoint diverted five fire engines. The fire was 100% contained at 1/10th of an acre. 

Today: Scouting on the western flank will continue to access how far the fire has progressed into the Freeman Grove area and form a tactical plan for successful firefighting activity. Direct fireline in this area is not possible due to steep, rugged terrain and the risk of firefighters’ safety. Personnel are working to assess how to tie indirect fire containment lines together from the north and south on the western edge of the fire. The western edge of the fire remains the highest priority for the incident management team due to the values at risk in nearby communities.

The southeast side of the fire will be tested with winds continuing from the northwest bringing the potential of spotting. Backcountry structure protection groups on the east side in the Inyo National Forest will continue their work with fuels mitigation to protect area values at risk, including structures. On the northeast flank, resources will work to limit impacts to local resources within the Golden Trout Wilderness area.

Shotgun Fire: Continues to hold at 498 acres, slowly burning in a rocky drainage and being monitored by aircraft.

Weather: Weather conditions today will be slightly more favorable for firefighters with temperatures 7-9 degrees cooler and relative humidity levels up 2-3%.  Morning winds in the drainages will become south to southwest in the early afternoon with speeds gusting to 14 miles per hour. Winds will continue to be heavily impacted by local terrain and shading from the Creek Fire smoke.

Smoke: Northwest winds on Tuesday will allow smoke from the Creek Fire to shade the Sequoia Complex. In the afternoon, as winds become more westerly, the Creek Fire smoke could shift north of the Sequoia Complex area. 

Evacuations and Closures:

• Evacuation Orders from the Tulare County Sheriff are in effect for the following communities: Camp Nelson, Coy Flat, Mountain Aire, Pierpoint, and points between (issued 9/6/20), Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest and Redwood Drive (issued 9/4/20), Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Pyles Camp, and points between (8/28/20). An Evacuation Warning is in place for Doyle Springs.  
• For assistance with evacuation, contact the Red-Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS or https://tinyurl.com/yafetgkj
• Tulare County residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications at alerttc.com
• SR190 is closed 16.2 miles east of Porterville at Rio Vista Road.
• Roads closure points into these areas – Hwy 190 & the County Transfer Station – M107 and Mountain Road 50 – Johnsondale Bridge & Sherman Pass. These points are closed to all traffic into the area.
• Park and Campgrounds closures: Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest; Tulare County’s Balch Park Campground; and all the campgrounds within the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests.
• The USDA Forest Service on 9/7/2020 has issued the following: Emergency Forest Closures (Order No. 20-07 and Order No. 20-08) and Emergency Fire Restrictions (Order No. 20-06) for the Pacific Southwest Region that  temporarily closes eight National Forests, including the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests.
• A Temporary Flight Restriction has been issued for the airspace around the fire complex. Drones are also prohibited.

Priorities include: Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest, Redwood Drive, facilities within Trout Meadow, structures along the Lloyd Meadows Road, Pyles Boys Camp, grazing cattle west of North Road, Freeman Creek Grove and other Sequoia groves, the President George H.W. Bush Tree, Camp Whitsett, archeological values, Peppermint Fire Station,  Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog and Little Kern Golden Trout Critical Habitats, Pacific Fisher habitats.

Smoke Outlook for 9/08 - 9/09

Southern Sierra - Sequoia : SQF Complex

Issued at: 2020-09-08 08:10 PDT

Smoke

Today’s air quality will begin unfavorably as several smoke

plumes converge. In the afternoon W transport winds will

improve air quality in Sierra Foothills while it will deteriorate in

Owens Valley and Kennedy Meadows. Transport winds

eventually return to NW.
 

Special Note

Poor Visibility was observed as low as ¾ mile. Motorists

traveling on affected roadways need to adjust to an

appropriate safe speed. Aircraft flight operations will again be

effected. Smoke Outlook’s only reflect particulate matter.

When considering outdoor activities review your closest

monitoring station.

Sequoia Complex (SQFComplex) Virtual Public Meeting, 6 p.m., Tuesday, September 8

The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1will hold a virtual public meeting livestreamed at 6 p.m., Tuesday, September 8.

Viewers do not need a Facebook account to view the meeting. The live stream will appear at the top of the Sequoia National Forest Facebook page a few minutes before 6:00 p.m. www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF

The US Forest Service Regional Forester for California issued a News Release earlier today informing the public about the closure of the Sequoia National Forest and other National Forests in Southern California to public use due to the ongoing fire situation throughout the state.  This closure is for firefighter and public safety due to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions, increasing fire behavior and limited availability of additional firefighting resources.  As a result, local Forest Service personnel have been visiting campgrounds and other areas of the Sequoia National Forest to notify individuals and families about this closure, giving them time to leave before the order goes into effect at 5 pm today. 

This effort by Sequoia National Forest employees to notify members of the public about the closure of the forest is related to the Regional Forester’s Order that is closing all Southern California National Forests. They are being closed due to fire danger across southern California. The closure is NOT related to any imminent threat of the Castle Fire and is NOT related to any evacuations.

U.S. Forest Service

Pacific Southwest Region

1323 Club Drive

Vallejo, CA 94591

Web: www.fs.usda.gov/r5

News Release

September 7, 2020

Media Contact: Jonathan Groveman

(707) 562-8995

jonathan.groveman@usda.gov

Forest Service Temporarily Closes Eight National Forests, Adds Prohibitions in Others

VALLEJO, Calif., September 7, 2020 – Most of California remains under the threat of unprecedented and dangerous fire conditions with a combination of extreme heat, significant wind events, dry conditions, and firefighting resources that are stretched to the limit. Due to these conditions, the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region is announcing the following temporary closures and fire restrictions to provide for public safety and reduce the potential for human caused fire starts. They will go into effect at 5:00 pm Pacific Standard Time on Monday, September 7, 2020, and will be re-evaluated daily as conditions change.

1. Closure of the following National Forests: Stanislaus National Forest, Sierra National Forest, Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Los Padres National Forest, Angeles National Forest, San Bernardino National Forest, and Cleveland National Forest.

2. Prohibition of the use of any ignition source on all National Forest System lands (campfires, gas stoves, etc.) throughout California.

3. Closure of all developed campgrounds and day-use sites on National Forests in California.

“The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire,” said Randy Moore, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region. “We are bringing every resource to bear nationally and internationally to fight these fires, but until conditions improve, and we are confident that National Forest visitors can recreate safely, the priority is always to protect the public and our firefighters. With these extreme conditions, these temporary actions will help us do both.”

An example of extreme fire behavior is the Creek Fire on the Sierra National Forest which began on Friday Sep. 4th and grew rapidly on Saturday, Sep. 5th. The fire made a 15-mile run in a single day and burned 36,000 acres, prompting evacuations and life saving measures. The California National Guard evacuated at least 200 people from Wagner Mammoth Pool Campground and assessed them for medical needs.

The Forest Service thanks our partners and the public for their cooperation and understanding of this monumental fire threat. It is critical that all Californians and national forest visitors follow these important closures and restrictions for their own safety and the safety of our firefighters.

The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.

Pronóstico de Humo para 7/09 - 8/09

Southern Sierra - Sequoia : SQF Complex

Actualizado: 2020-09-07 09:00 PDT

Humo

La calidad del aire se verá afectada hoy en toda el área de

pronóstico. En esta mañana hay niveles de calidad de aire en

Insalubres o peor en el valle de Owens, el drenaje del río Kern

y el Parque Nacional Sequoia. Los vientos que transportan

humo cambiarán a noroeste de lunes a miércoles. Durante

este periodo, el humo del fuego Creek afectara el área. Se

combinará con el humo del conjunto de fuegos SQF y

contribuirá con el deterioro de la calidad de aire. El Valle de

San Joaquín y las colinas de la Sierra serán impactadas

igualmente.
 

Más

Una mala visibilidad, menos de 1/4 de milla, requiere mayor

atención al conducir y dificulta las operaciones de vuelo de las

aeronaves.

Sequoia Complex (#SQFComplex) Fire Update

Sequoia and Inyo National Forests

September 7, 2020

Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1

Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander

Incident Statistics

Location: 25 miles N of Kernville, CA

Date of origin: 8/19/20 Cause: Lightning

Size: 55,961 acres           

Containment: 7%

Cost: $12 million              

Injuries: 8

Civilians evacuated: 828

Structures threatened: 596

Resources

Hand Crews: 13

Engines: 48

Water-tenders: 20          

Dozers: 8

Helicopters: 10 

Personnel: 744

Fire Information: 559-697-5148, 8 AM-8 PM

Email: sqfcomplex2020@gmail.com

Website: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF        www.facebook.com/inyonf

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TulareCountyFireDepartment

Twitter: @sequoiaforest and @Inyo_NF

The next community meeting is scheduled for 6 PM, Tuesday, September 8. It will be broadcast via Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF.   

Operational briefings are posted to the Sequoia NF Facebook site twice daily.

Additional community evacuations were issued yesterday, September 6, 2020 for the communities of Camp Nelson, Coy Flat, Mountain Air, Pier Point and points between. Evacuation orders remain in effect for Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest, Redwood Drive, Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Pyles Boys Camp, and points between. An evacuation warning is in place for Doyle Springs.

The Infrared flight was unable to be flown last night due to mechanical issues. Updated acreage, containment and maps will be shared when available. The Castle Fire is mapped at 55,523 acres, including 11,022 acres within the Inyo National Forest boundary, and the remainder on the Sequoia National Forest. 

Sequoia (#SQF) Complex: The complex includes the Castle and Shotgun fires.

Castle Fire: On Sunday afternoon, the western edge of the fire experienced dynamic growth, reaching the edge of Freeman Grove. Additional firefighting resources were shifted to the area to bolster efforts. By 1 PM, the fire was experiencing short runs and spotting, resulting in crews being pulled off of the line at 2 PM. Evacuations of local communities were ordered due to imminent threat. By 4 PM, firefighters were able to reengage in defensive tactics in the effort to stop the fire spread south towards Lloyd Meadow. Crews worked into the night, constructing direct line.

Today, firefighters will be scouting the size and intensity of the slop over into Freeman Grove. They will look for opportunities to go direct, unless the fire activity necessitates using indirect tactics. Resources will be positioned in an effort to protect local values at risk, including structures and natural resources to the greatest extent possible. Local forest resources have been invaluable, helping to guide the team with their knowledge of old burn scars, dozer lines and roads that can be used in firefighting tactics.

On the northeast flank of the fire, firefighters are working to limit impacts to values at risk within the Golden Trout Wilderness and to limit spread on the eastern edge of the fire. Further south, resources west of Little Horse Meadows established primary and secondary lines with handline and equipment. East of Ponderosa, firefighters made a lot of ground, putting direct line into Lion Meadows Road. Today, fire crews will work to secure fire edge from the east side of the Kern River to the east utilizing direct and indirect tactics. Crews will initiate firing operations as needed.

Shotgun Fire: Estimated at 438 acres, the fire is slowly burning in a rocky drainage and is monitored by aircraft.

Weather: Monday’s weather is expected to be hot, dry, and breezy, consistent with the previous few days. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-80s at higher elevations to lower 100s on the valley floors. The minimum relative humidity will continue to drop into the teens and possibly the upper single digits today. Tuesday’s weather calls for a chance of slightly cooler temperatures with only a slight bump in relative humidity.  Wednesday and beyond the forecast calls for some additional cooling, but also a return to a more typical shifting wind pattern.

Smoke: Smoke will be heavy throughout the area today, and may not lift the whole day. As winds shift from the Northwest, the Kern River Valley will be impacted with smoke from the Creek Fire, as well as the Sequoia (SQF) Complex.

Evacuations and Closures:

• The Tulare County Sheriff issued an Evacuation Order yesterday, 9/6/20 for Camp Nelson, Coy Flat, Mountain Aire and Pier Point.

• Previous Evacuation Orders remain in effect for Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest and Redwood Drive (issued 9/4/20) as well as for Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Pyles Camp, and points between (8/28/20).

• An Evacuation Warning is in place for Doyle Springs.  

• For the latest in evacuation centers, visit Redcross.org

• Tulare County residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications at alerttc.com

• The road closure for SR190 has been expanded and is closed from 16.2 miles east of Porterville (at Rancho Rio Vista Road) to Quaking Aspen Campground.

• Roads closure points into these areas – Hwy 190 & the County Transfer Station – M107 and Mountain Road 50 – Johnsondale Bridge & Sherman Pass. These points are closed to all traffic into the area.

• Campgrounds closed: Belknap, Coy Flat, Dome Rock, Lower Peppermint, Upper Peppermint, & Quaking Aspen 

• Sequoia National Forest issued Order No. 0513-20-31 SQF Complex Fire Area Road and Trails Closure on 8/26/2020.

• Inyo National Forest issued Order No. 05-04-21-20-17 Inyo National Forest Castle Fire Trail, Road, and Area Closure on 9/3/20 which expands the closure area of the Golden Trout Wilderness and Monache Meadows. The original closure areas continue as specified in Order No. 05-04-51-20-16. These closures are for firefighter and public safety.

• A Temporary Flight Restriction has been issued for the airspace around the fire complex. Drones are also prohibited.

   

Priorities include: Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest, Redwood Drive, facilities within Trout Meadow, structures along the Lloyd Meadows Road, Pyles Boys Camp,  grazing cattle west of North Road, Freeman Creek Grove and other Sequoia groves, the President George H.W. Bush Tree, Camp Whitsett, archeological values, Peppermint Fire Station,  Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog and Little Kern Golden Trout Critical Habitats, Pacific Fisher habitats.

Smoke Outlook for 9/07 - 9/08

Caltrans HQ has moved the road closure for SR 190 due to activity from the Sequoia Complex (#SQFComplex).

SR 190

[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA]
IS CLOSED FROM 16.2 MI EAST OF PORTERVILLE /AT RANCHO RIO VISTA RD/ TO QUAKING ASPEN CAMPGROUND (TULARE CO) - DUE TO A WILDFIRE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE