Burnout operations around Ponderosa continue
The Sequoia Complex is under the Unified Command between the United States Forest Service, Sequoia National Park, Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1, and CAL FIRE Team 6. The Northern Rockies Team 1 is in command of the East Castle Zone and CAL FIRE Team 6 is in command of the West Castle Zone. Both teams are managing the Sequoia Complex as a Team of One.
The number of structures lost, 150, has not increased since September 16. Firefighters continue to patrol communities where the fire front has passed through, as well as the 1,000 structures in Ponderosa, Camp Nelson, Coy Flat, and Pierpoint that remain under threat.
“We have been through a week of providing structure protection through the day and through the night in area communities,” said Mike Goicoechea, Incident Commander. “Through all of that, we have had no injuries, and we are actively saving homes. I am proud of the hard, safe work our firefighters are putting in to protect these area homes, it is a difficult battle.”
SQF COMPLEX-ALL ZONES: The Castle Fire as of Sunday morning was at 134,970 acres and the Shotgun Fire at 832 acres for a total of 135,802 acres. The containment on the complex has increased to 14%.
East Castle Zone SQF Complex - Castle Fire: Saturday the fire spotted over to the east side of the Kern River. The spot was contained at less than one acre and will be patrolled today. Fire crews continue to remain fully engaged in point protection for local communities. As threats to structures decrease, perimeter control of the fire will again be a priority.
Burnout operations around Ponderosa continued in small blocks to increase the line of defensible space. In
the areas of Camp Nelson, Coy Flat, and Pierpoint, there has not been a lot of recent fire movement. Crews are working along the Coy Flat Road to tie direct line into a rocky outcrop. This line will allow crews extra time to prep structures in the Mountain Aire and Rodgers Camp areas. Aerial resources continue to be used in and around communities with both water and retardant drops.
Containment increased to 14% as a large portion of the eastern flank, including portions in the Inyo National Forest, has not seen active fire for several days. As personnel become more confident that containment lines are secure, containment on the fire will increase. Direct line construction on the unsecured eastern edge is still being completed around Little Horse Meadows. At the Kern Canyon Ranger Station, local personnel remain ready to provide structure protection.
Both zones of the Sequoia Complex are working on a plan to construct indirect line along the Tule Indian Reservation. Heavy equipment is in the area and will be used to construct a containment line along the ridge.
East Castle Zone SQF Complex - Shotgun Fire: The fire is approximately one mile south of the Sequoia National Park and as of Sunday morning was 832 acres.
A record was set Saturday for number of personnel assigned to active incidents in the nation. According to the National Interagency Fire Coordination Center, 32,727 personnel are actively deployed on incidents.
Weather: Temperatures were slightly warmer Sunday, with highs ranging from 75 to 83 degrees. Relative humidity levels were down five percent, with levels in the midteens. Winds were northeasterly in the morning, shifting to the southwest in the afternoon with sustained speeds under 10 mph.
Evacuations, Closures and Additional Information:
• Tulare County residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications at alerttc. com.
• Evacuation Orders and Warnings Tulare County may be found at https:// www. facebook. com/countyoftulare.
• Tulare County has a structure assessment form for evacuees affected by the fire.
• An interactive map showing damaged structures is now available.
• Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency hotline for affected citizens – (559) 802-9790
• The Red Cross has evacuation centers at Porterville Community College and the North Exeter Community Building. Also, call the Red Cross at 1-800-REDCROSS or https://tinyurl. com/yafetgkj
• Current air quality may be found at https:// fire.airnow.gov/.
• Sequoia and Inyo National Forests are closed: Regional Order No. 20-15
• Regional Emergency Fire Restrictions are in place: Regional Order No. 20-14
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are currently closed.
• The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Office has issued a temporary emergency closure.
• The Temporary Flight Restriction ( 9/ 19/ 20). Drones over the fire area are prohibited.
Priorities include: Communities listed in the above evacuation orders, Casa Vieja, Blackrock Ranger Station, Rogers Camp, Beach Meadows, Monache Meadows, structures along the Lloyd Meadows Road, Freeman Grove, the President George H.W. Bush Tree, Camp Whitsett, archeological values, Mountain Yellow-legged Frog and Little Kern Golden Trout Critical Habitats, Pacific Fisher habitats, OSA, Beach, and Beck Meadows, trailheads and facilities.
Cooperating Agencies: Tulare County Fire Department, Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, Tule River Tribe, California Rehabilitation Center Fire Department, California Conservation Corps, California Office of Emergency Services and Bureau of Land Management.
California Statewide Fire Summary: Containment continues to increase thanks to the efforts of firefighters on 27 major wildfires in California, as well as one extended attack wildfire. With nearly 19,000 firefighters on the front lines, crews continue to gain ground on these fires, as well as responding to 25 initial attack wildfires across the State, all of which were contained quickly.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been over 7,900 wildfires that have burned over 3.5 million acres in California. Since August 15, when California’s fire activity elevated, there have been 26 fatalities and over 6,100 structures destroyed.