There is a 5-acre fire west of the Ash Mountain Helibase near the entrance to Sequoia National Park. Tulare County, CALFIRE, and NPS fire resources are responding. There are currently no evacuations. The Ash Mountain Entrance Station in Three Rivers is closed to inbound traffic. The Generals Highway is open to outbound (downhill traffic) of people leaving the park. Numerous aircraft are expected to arrive on scene very soon. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. We will issue updates as information becomes available.
Tag: park updates
Fire management staff at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are preparing to begin burning piles of cut vegetation in multiple locations throughout the parks. The work will be ongoing as conditions allow from October 21 – December 1, 2023. Throughout the duration of the project, visitors to the parks may see smoke, burning piles, firefighters, and firefighting apparatus along the roadway.
The Grant Grove Prescribed burn, which had been scheduled to commence on Sunday, October 15, has been postponed due to dry fuel conditions.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks plan to begin ignitions on the Grant Grove Prescribed Burn, in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park on Sunday, October 15. 520 acres of burning are planned over the course of 4-6 days of ignitions. The General Grant Tree, the Grant Tree Trail, and the Grant Tree Road, as well as trail systems in the surrounding area, will be inaccessible during the ignitions, and the Azalea Campground will be closed.
The National Park Service (NPS) released its decision to replant sequoia and other mixed conifer seeds in areas impacted by high severity fire during the 2020 Castle and 2021 KNP Complex Wildfires. Replanting efforts will begin in the coming days
Ignition operations are planned to begin on Wednesday 09/13 and continue for about 7 days. While ignition operations are being conducted, there may be a noticeable increase in smoke production.
Surplus wood is currently available to the public by permit in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Firewood permits are free, but you must obtain your permit before wood can be removed.
Fire management staff and park leadership have elected to utilize a confine and contain strategy to manage the Redwood Fire, located in the wilderness of Sequoia National Park, near Redwood Meadow. The lightning-ignited fire is currently 75 acres in size and burning at low intensity up a steep, forested slope. It currently poses no threats to life or property.
The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Swiftwater Rescue is on scene of a drowning on the Kaweah River near the Potwisha Campground. Sheriff Boudreaux would like to remind anyone near waterways in Tulare County to be extremely careful, as the record snowpack melts in the Sierra have created very fast and very cold currents.
Our friends at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have provided another update on the storm recovery efforts. The Mineral King Road will not be open to public access this 2023 season, significant work is taking place on General’s Highway, pavement preservation work continues in Grant Grove, and shuttle service in Giant Forest remains suspended until further notice.
Sequoia Shuttle bus drivers will go on strike effective July 1 due to failed contract negotiations with Transdev. This is impacting all transit services offered by Visalia Transit, including the Sequoia Shuttle. Accordingly, There will be no Sequoia Shuttle service until further notice. Printable notice attached.
The Generals Highway between the Foothills and Giant Forest areas of Sequoia National Park will reopen to public travel on Saturday, July 1. Road construction is still underway along two sections of the highway, and traffic lights will be used to manage one-lane vehicle travel.