Sierra - Horse Creek Fire - July 27, 2018

The following email just arrived from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park:

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release

For Immediate Release
Fire Information Updates: (559) 565-3704
E-mail: seki_fire_info@nps.gov
Reference Number: 8550-1841
Media Contact: 559-565-3129

Horse Creek Fire Update 07-27-18

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. July 27, 2018 – Park fire management officials resumed control of the Horse Creek Fire in the John Krebs Wilderness of Sequoia National Park this morning. The fire is currently 34 acres and 90% contained. Fire activity has reduced dramatically, with fire mostly smoldering and creeping with a few interior pockets of active flame.

The fire is staffed on the ground by a single crew engaged in patrol, mop-up, and reinforcing fire containment lines where necessary. Smoke from the area may be visible from the Mineral King Road for several days or weeks as interior pockets of fuel are consumed.

Effective today, overnight wilderness users will be able to begin trips from Mineral King-area trailheads, and walk-up permits are being issued for those trails again according to usual policy. The Atwell-Hockett Trail and the Tar Gap Trail have been reopened for regular use.

“We are very thankful to the South Central Sierra Interagency Incident Management Team for all their hard work,” says Sequoia Duty Officer Kelly Singer. “This fire had the potential to grow quickly and affect a lot of people. Thanks to the team, and to all the other ground and air resources, it’s in a very manageable place now.”

Firefighters will remain on the ground at the fire until a determination is made by fire management staff to withdraw them, at which point the fire will be patrolled by air.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are experiencing variable smoke impacts due to other fires in the state, including the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County. For daily updates on park air quality, visit go.nps.gov/sekiair.

This will be the last daily update for the Horse Creek Fire unless conditions significantly change.

For more information on the Horse Creek Fire, visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5984/.

 - NPS -

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' Fire Management Program

For fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.