Sequoia Complex still at 65% containment

The Sequoia Complex which now consists solely of the Castle Fire that began in the Golden Trout Wilderness remained at 65 percent contained as of Thursday morning.

The fire has grown to 164,993 acres. The estimated date for full containment continues to be November 1. The number of personnel fighting the fire has been decreased to 749.

The fire continues to be a threat to Sequoia National Park. “As the temperatures start to cool and the smoke begins to clear, fire activity is expected to increase,” officials stated. “With clear visibility, there will be an increased use of aircraft and helicopters to focus on dropping water and fire retardant in the areas most at risk”

The Tulare County Sherrif’s Office issued an evacuation order Tuesday for everything south of the intersection of the Cinnamon Canyon Road and South Fork Drive, including Cinnamon Canyon. South Fork Drive needs to remain available for fire crews and heavy equipment access from Highway 198 to Cinnamon Canyon Road.

Camp Nelson, Pierpoint, Ponderosa, Coy Flat, Doyle Springs, Rogers Camp, and

Mountain Aire are under an Evacuation Warning. Mountain Home Camp, South Fork Drive Area, Alpine Village, Cedar Slope, Pyles Boys Camp, Redwood Drive, and Sequoia Crest are under an evacuation order. For more information visit: https://tularecounty.ca.gov/recovers

“The southern perimeter is holding,” officials stated. “Crews will focus on removing fire weakened trees and hot spots in this area.”

Preparations for people to return to Sequoia Crest and Cedar Slope remains a high priority. “There are sections that are unburnt and may burn causing an increase of visible smoke from inside the perimeter,” officials stated. “Crews and aircraft will continue to monitor these areas.”

There was a transfer of command from California Incident Management Team 2 to Southern California Incident Management Team 13 on Tuesday.

“As residents return to the areas that have been opened, it is extremely important that they continue remain clear of all closure areas,” officials stated. “Activities such as wood gathering and hunting are not allowed within the forest closure. These areas will reopen as soon as it is reasonably safe to do so.”

For more information visit: www.readyforwildfire. org/ post- wildfire/returning-home/.

“Despite the cooling temperatures, it is expected to remain dry with very low humidity levels,” officials stated. “Moisture in both dead and live vegetation is at record low levels.”

Evacuation Orders, Map and Warnings for Tulare County can be found at https://tularecounty.ca.gov/emergencies.

Current Evacuation Status of areas effected by the Sequoia Complex can be found here: https:// inciweb. nwcg. gov/photos.

On Tuesday the evacuation order for Balch Park Road from Blue Ridge Drive to the Battle Mountain Monument was downgraded to a evacuation warning.

Tulare County has a structure assessment form for evacuees affected by the fire to provide contact information for County officials at https://docs. google.com

An interactive map showing damaged structures is available at https:// tularecounty. maps.arcgis.com. Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency hotline for affected citizens is (559) 802-9790