Sequoia wildfires grow, forcing evacuations and air quality alerts. Here’s the latest
The KNP Complex Fire burning for almost four weeks in the Sierra Nevada range of eastern Tulare County grew by about 5,000 acres overnight, expanding to nearly 68,000 acres by Monday morning.
The U.S. Forest Service’s InciWeb incident information system reported that the fire encompassesd 67,708 acres within Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Forest, with containment estimated at about 11%.
That’s a change from Sunday’s situation report of 62,761 acres and 20% containment.
New evacuation orders were issued late Sunday for residents in the Mineral King area, Gateway, to the Park Entrance, including Sycamore Drive.
As the fire which was sparked by lightning on Sept. 10 continues to burn, the KNP Complex – along with the Windy Fire burning farther south in Tulare County – are pumping smoke into the air over the San Joaquin Valley. The volume of smoke, fine soot and ash drifting westward from the fire turned the skies over Fresno and the region a muddy orange-gray and prompted a continuing air quality warning for Valley residents.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District forecast that air quality would be “unhealthy” in the Valley from Merced County southward to Kern County.
Incident commander Dave Bales, who heads the Southwest Area Type 1 incident team battling the fire, said winds on Sunday night caused a spot fire south of Mineral King Road, prompting the latest evacuation orders from Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
As of Monday, at least 1,500 firefighters were engaged against the fire, including 61 fire engines, 40 water tenders, 21 dozers and 12 helicopters. The fire behavior has included extreme uphill runs and short-range spot fires. Weather is also a concern for firefighters, as high pressure continued to hold smoke in place over the area. Very low humidity also means that fuels feeding the fire – timber, chaparral and short grass in the forest – is continuing to dry out, contributing to the active spread of the blaze.
Over the next 24 hours, fire crews expect to see active to extreme fire behavior because of the low humidity. The fire is expected to continue to move north up the Redwood drainage and into the Pierce Creek drainage. On the east side, the fire is likely to continue spreading eastward, south of the Kaweah River’s Middle Fork, and backing toward Mineral King Road.
Windy Fire still growing
Farther south, in the Sequoia National Forest, the Windy Fire is now estimated at almost 95,000 acres, with containment lines now encircling 68% of the fire’s perimeter. The Windy Fire ignited on Sept. 9, and was caused by lightning like the KNP Complex to the north.
The wildfire’s growth was reported at about 2,300 acres over the previous 24 hours.
The fire also is burning in the Tule River Reservation as well as the Sequoia National Forest, including the Giant Sequoia National Monument. To date, it has burned 14 homes, 14 outbuildings and two commercial buildings. Four people have been injured by the fire.
About 2,000 other homes and 100 commercial buildings remain threatened by the Windy Fire.
Evacuation orders were being downgraded Monday afternoon to warnings in California Hot Springs and Pine Flat, but orders remain in place at the White River Summer Home tract, Sugarloaf Saw Mill and Sugarloaf Mountain Park.
Almost 2,300 firefighters are working the Windy Fire, including 57 hand crews, 112 engines, 17 helicopters, 14 bulldozers and 13 water tender trucks.
The National Interagency Coordination Center reports that together, the KNP Complex and Windy fires have cost more than $86 million to fight.
