Wildfire update: New mandatory evacuation in Sequoia National Park; fire jumps Generals Highway

The KNP Complex fire continues to burn, growing to more than 3,000 acres in the steep, densely forested terrain inside Sequoia National Park on Tuesday.

Ground crews were finally able to access the Colony Fire, which has burned 493 acres in the Yucca Drainage near Crystal Cave Road. The area is heavily affected by tree mortality and standing dead trees are a major safety concern, according to a daily fire update from the National Park Service.

The Paradise Fire, which has burned 2,531 acres, has been inaccessible from the ground so far and fire officials have been relying on water and retardant drops to slow its spread. The fire started near the middle fork of the Kaweah River.

On Monday, it crossed north across the Generals Highway. It burned near Potwisha campground but did not affect the site, said Mark Ruggiero, a public information officer for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Ruggiero said the fire has forced some employees to evacuate: “The parks are evacuating employees from the Ash Mountain Headquarters Complex and nearby housing areas.”

No structures have been affected and there are currently no threats to the park.

There also is no immediate threat to the park’s groves of giant Sequoia trees, Ruggiero said. Though with the fires uncontained and very active, protecting the groves is a concern, Ruggiero said.

Sequoia services, evacuations

All facilities and services in the park are closed and all wilderness permits for trailheads have been canceled. The Mineral King area, from the Oak Bridge to the end of the road, remains under mandatory evacuation and parts of the town of Three Rivers are under an evacuation warning.

On Tuesday morning, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office issued a mandatory evacuation order for the community of Sycamore within the park:

“A Mandatory Evacuation Order means there is immediate threat to life and/or property. Those who live in these areas must leave now,” the sheriff’s office said.

Air quality from KNP Complex Fire

While the large amount of smoke being produced by the KNP Complex Fire hadn’t quite made it to the Valley floor on Monday, the Central Valley Air Pollution Control District has issued an air quality advisory.

Particulates from the fires — along with other fires burning to the north and south — may affect the Valley over the rest of the week. Residents should remain indoors to reduce their exposure.

Meeting in Three Rivers on Tuesday

The park service will host a community meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Three Rivers Memorial Building at 43490 Sierra Drive in Three Rivers.

As before, the meeting will be live streamed on the parks’ Facebook page.

This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 9:11 AM.