Humo

Sequoia Complex (#SQFComplex) Fire Update

Sequoia and Inyo National Forests

September 6, 2020

Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1

 Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander

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

Email: sqfcomplex2020@gmail.com

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

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF        https://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: 55,961 acres           

Containment: 7%

Cost: $10 million              

Injuries: 8

Civilians evacuated: 828

Structures threatened: 661

Resources

Hand Crews: 12

Engines: 45

Water-tenders: 21          

Dozers: 8

Helicopters: 9    

Personnel: 587
 

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

Castle Fire: Containment moved from 1% to 7% as firefighters mopped up along the southwest perimeter of the fire in the vicinity of Lloyd Flat. Yesterday afternoon, a large smoke column rose from the western side of the fire as it aggressively pushed to the west along Clicks Creek. Crews were able to burn off control lines and kept the fire from crossing those lines. Aircraft applied retardant in that area keeping the fire in check while supporting ground crews. Today, additional resources will be moved to the western side of the fire to assist in attacking the fire. The western edge of the fire is approximately 4-5 miles east of Sequoia Crest.

Crews continue to mop-up along the southwestern perimeter of the fire. Crews are constructing direct fireline and using old firelines on the northeast side of the fire in the Inyo National Forest to implement point protection to protect critical values at risk.  Firefighters are building direct fireline where possible and using heavy equipment and chippers to build contingency lines on the southeastern side of the fire where the fire continues to move towards Little Horse and Osa Meadows. Structure assessment and protection continues for communities impacted by the fire, including Soda Flat, Jordan Hot Springs, and Casa Vieja Meadow, Cedar Slope, Ponderosa, Camp Nelson and Monache Meadows.

Acreage remains the same today, due to no infrared flight last night. 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. 

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

Weather: Sunday’s temperatures will be in the upper 80s at the higher elevations to 105 on the valley floor. Minimum relative humidity will be in the teens or single digits. Sunday’s winds will be from the south or southeast in the morning, from the west or southwest around noon and from the northwest in late afternoon.

Smoke: Air quality will be impaired throughout the Outlook area today. Unhealthy or worse levels are present this morning in Owens Valley, the Kern River drainage, and Sequoia National Park. Shifting winds will also bring smoke from the SQF Complex and the Creek Fire to the San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra foothills.

Evacuations and Closures:

• Tulare County Sheriff issued an Evacuation Order on 9/4/20 for Alpine Village, Sequoia Crest and Redwood Drive. The Evacuation Order (8/28/20) is still in effect for: Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Pyles Camp, and points between.

• The Evacuation Warning is still in place for: Camp Nelson, Rodgers Camp, Coy Flat, Mountain Aire and Pier Point.

• The Red Cross temporary evacuation center is located at Porterville College Stadium Gate 2.

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

• Roads are closed at Johnsondale Bridge and Sherman Pass, Hwy 190, and the County Transfer Station, as well as M107 and Mountain Road 50.

• 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

Sequoia (#SQF) Complex Fire Update

Sequoia and Inyo National Forests

September 5, 2020

Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1

Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander  

Fire

The SQF Complex is 55,961 acres in size, an increase in 3,944 acres. Similar active fire behavior is expected again today in grass, brush, and timber fuels. Line building continues on the southwest perimeter between Summit Trailhead and Jerkey Meadows. For more information visitinciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048.
 
Smoke

Air quality impacts will start this morning along the Sierra front and areas west of the fire, then shift in the afternoon to Kennedy Meadows, Owens Valley and areas southeast of the fire including Ridgecrest. Kernville and Lake Isabella will see some relief in the morning before degrading to Unhealthy in the afternoon.
 
Notes

Forecasts reflect particulate matter only – not ozone.

Printable versions of the smoke report in English and Spanish may be found below.

Tulare County has issued evacuation orders for the following communities: 

Alpine Village
Sequoia Crest
and Redwood Drive

Evacuation orders remain in effect for:

Ponderosa
Cedar Slope
Pyles Boys Camp
and points in between

Evacuation warnings remain in effect for:

Camp Nelson
Rodger Camp
Coy Flat
Mountain Air

The full image is at Related Information below:
 

 

 
 

Smoke Outlook for 9/04 - 9/05
Southern Sierra - Sequoia : SQF Complex
Issued at: 2020-09-04 07:20 PDT
 
Fire  - The SQF Complex is 52,189 acres in size, an increase in 5,861acres. Active fire behavior is occurring in grass, brush, and timber fuels over complex wilderness terrain. For more information visit inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7048.
 
Smoke - The overnight inversion along the Kern River will continue to collect unhealthy concentrations of particulate matter. Smoke will also impact areas to the north, west and south, from Pinehurst to Tehachapi with Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG). Kernville, Johnsondale, Kennedy Meadows, and Lake Isabella will be Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy with periods of improvement late in the day. The Owens Valley will be Good to Moderate.
 
Notes - Forecasts reflect particulate matter only – not ozone. A monitor at Mineral King in Sequoia National Park has been added to the outlook.
 
The complete smoke outlooks in both English and Spanish may be found under Related Information below. 

Tulare County has issued additional Evacuation Warning for the following communities:

Alpine Village
Sequoia Crest
and Redwood Drive 

The following communities continue to remain under an Evacuation Warning: Camp Nelson, Rodgers Camp, Coy Flat and Mountain Air  

The following communities continue to remain under an Evacuation Order: Ponderosa, Cedar Slope, Pyles Boys Camp and points in between.

A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Porterville College Stadium at Gate 2 by the Red Cross. 

SQF Complex Fire Update
Sequoia and Inyo National Forests
September 4, 2020 Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1
Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander
Incident Statistics Location: 25 miles N of Kernville, CA
Date of origin: August 19, 2020
Size: 52,017 acres
Containment: 1% Cause: Lightning
Injuries: 6
Cost: $8.2 million
Resources: 

• Hand Crews: 11    
• Engines: 43
• Water-tenders: 16         
• Dozers: 8
• Helicopters: 9                 
• Personnel: 630

Forest Closure Order Revised for SQF Complex Fire

Includes Monache Meadows

USDA Forest Service
Inyo National Forest
351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200
Bishop, CA 93514