A (Sequoia) Complex Situation
Castle Fire grows to 15,400 acres 12 hikers safely evacuated from fire zone
As of Tuesday night the Castle Fire in the Golden Trout Wilderness northeast of the community of Ponderosa had grown to 15,400 acres. There was still 0 percent containment of the fire.
On Tuesday, the Castle Fire and Shotgun Fire were classified as the Sequoia Complex. These lighting caused fires started after a series of strong thunderstorms moved through the area on August 19.
The fire continues to move farther into the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Sequoia National Forest and is advancing towards the Inyo National Forest. A full suppression to contain and confine operation is in place with firefighters working on the ground and supported by aircraft. A point protection strategy has been put in place to stop the fire from advancing into the Freeman Grove of Giant Sequoias and the community of Ponderosa.
The Shotgun Fire, located where Pistol Creek and Shotgun Creek converge in the Golden Trout Wilderness, has grown to approximately 250 acres. It also has 0 percent containment. The Shotgun Fire was being monitored by air and is burning in rough rocky terrain.
The cabins in the Trout Meadow area remain threatened. The community of Ponderosa and Cedar Slope was notified by the Tulare County Sheriffs office of an evacuation advisory. These advisory precautions were delivered to homeowners in preparation if the need were to arise in case of a life threatening situation.
On Monday morning, 12 hikers were safely evacuated from the fire zone after being spotted by a passing helicopter, with two more individuals still at Little Kern Lake in the wilderness. Fire may move towards the area, so efforts were underway to locate, notify and evacuate those hikers. Little Kern Lake is still north of the fire and the evacuation efforts were precautionary.
Unstable weather conditions were predicted for Tuesday, with higher humidity levels. The potential for thunderstorms with lightning on Tuesday afternoon was likely and the forecast called for continue thunderstorms accompanied by hot temperatures over the next 72 hours.
Smoke and widespread air quality impacts from the California wildfires remain the primary weather concern. Additional lightning and thunderstorms are predicted this week, and in response, the Forest is using a combination of fire lookouts, patrols, and aerial detection to search for new fire starts.
Visitors are urged to be vigilant about wildfire prevention as hot and dry weather conditions remain throughout the week. Visitors to the Forest will continue to see smoke, active fire, and firefighters during the next few days. Please drive slowly and carefully.
For information about air quality, smoke conditions, and health effects, visit www.valleyair.org or visit www.airnow.gov.
Fire manager are employing tactics that safely engage fire while prioritizing firefighter and public safety. Protecting lives will always remain the No. 1 priority. COVID-19 mitigations are being taken to limit exposure risks to firefighters and the public as per CDC guidelines.