Walkers Fire still at 52 percent containment

Efforts continued to fully suppress the Walkers Fire in the Golde Trout Wilderness which remained at 8,304 acres and at 52 percent containment as of Thursday morning.

Firefighters have focused their efforts on the north and west sides of the fire, constructing hand fireline utilizing natural barriers where available. The northwest edge is located approximately eight miles south of Mineral King in Sequoia National Park. There’s not an immediate threat to those who live and recreate in Mineral King, however trail closures are in place to the south.

As of Thursday morning seven hand crews and five helicopters remained committed to battling the fire. Forest and Park Service personnel are working sideby-side to coordinate fire suppression efforts across agency boundaries.

“They continue to prioritize firefighter safety recognizing the difficulty faced this season when firefighting resources are limited throughout the state,” Sequoia National Forest stated.

The Walkers Fire erupted in mid-august when lightning ignited vegetation in the Golden Trout Wilderness in Sequoia National Forest. The fire is burning in steep and rugged terrain, critically dry vegetation and drought stressed, bug infested, and firekilled trees, most within the footprint of past wildfires.

“Lack of moisture is evident, creating intense fire behavior not normally seen in this area,” the forest service stated.

Firefighter actions to defend Quinn Cabin in Sequoia National Park continue to be successful. Work continued to strengthen protection of the cabin while the firefight continued.

The Sequoia National Forest currently has a full forest closure in place through September 17 until it’s determined the closure is no longer necessary or needs to be extended. Information is available through the Regional Hotline, 707562-9113 or https://www. fs.usda.gov/sequoia

The French Fire in the Lake Isabella area was at 25,871 acres and 43 percent contained as of Thursday morning.