Schaeffer Fire area, roads and trails closure rescinded

Forest Service officials rescinded the Schaeffer Fire Area Closure Order within the Kern River and Western Divide Ranger Districts as of Friday, July 28.

Alicia Embrey, the Forest Public Affairs Officer for Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, said the fire is currently 94 percent contained. She said smoke in the interior may continue for several weeks and noted that fire suppression resources will remain on scene to monitor the area.

Embrey said roads and trails within the closure area, including Sherman Pass and Monache roads, are now open. Rattlesnake Trail No. 33E22, she said, will remain closed due to pre-existing conditions.

“Please remain cautious when visiting the area’s roads and trails,” Embrey said.

She said hazards that remain within the closure area include burning stumps, hot spots, ash, hazard trees and snags.

Embrey said lightning caused the Schaeffer Fire, which she said started on Saturday, June 24 when a storm passed through the Kern River Ranger District of the Sequoia National Forest. In the interest of forest visitor and firefighter health and safety, Embrey said forest officials placed the Schaeffer Fire Area Closure Order on July 8.

For more information, call the Kernville Ranger Station at (760) 376-3781. The district office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week.

Embrey said the mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

Embrey said public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.