Sierra - Horse Creek Fire Update - July 23, 2018

The American Alpine Institute just received the following press release from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks News Release

For Immediate Release
Fire Information Updates: (559) 565-3704
E-mail: seki_fire_info@nps.gov

Horse Creek Fire Update (July 23, 2018)

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (7/23/18) - Crews made good progress constructing direct lines around the Horse Creek Fire’s north and west flank.

The Horse Creek Fire continued to grow slowly yesterday on the south flank in inaccessible wilderness within Sequoia National Park. The fire is highly visible for several miles on the south side of Mineral King Road. The fire is now 30 acres in size and 0% contained. Moderate fire behavior was observed during the day shift, with some isolated single tree torching, roll out, and short uphill runs. The fire was less active through the night. Fire crews have made good progress on the North and West flanks and are working to complete containment lines around the East and South flanks of the fire.

At 7:00 a.m. this morning, the South Central Sierra Interagency Type Two Incident Management Team assumed command of the fire and is working under a delegation of authority from Sequoia National Park. Firefighters are taking full suppression action on this fire and will continue to utilize both air and ground resources to contain the fire. An additional Hot Shot crew will be flown in to assist with fire suppression today. Due to the extremely steep terrain, dense forest and brush, large amount of tree mortality, and lack of trail access, this lightning-caused fire poses challenges for ground operations.

The Mineral King Valley is now under a Fire Advisory. The Mineral King Valley is seeing an increased amount of smoke, especially overnight. Due to this and the increased amount of fire personnel traffic on the Mineral King Road:

• Effective Monday, July 23, wilderness permit holders will not be able to start any trips from Mineral King trailheads until further notice. Walk-up permits will not be issued. Visitors currently on wilderness trips will be allowed to exit as planned. 
• The Atwell-Hockett Trail and the Tar Gap Trail remain closed. 
• Mineral King Campgrounds remain open but could close with little notice based on changes in fire behavior, smoke, and air quality. 
• Only day-hiking is permitted on open trails. 

For questions about wilderness permits, please call (559) 565-3766 or e-mailseki_wilderness_office@nps.gov.

At this time neither the road nor any structures are directly threatened by the fire, and the road remains open. However, visitors are strongly encouraged to consider recreation options other than Mineral King in order to minimize traffic on the road.

Tulare County offers a free automated alert service that issues notices of unsafe conditions and warnings to residents on the platform of their choice (e.g., SMS, email, landline). To sign up, visithttps://alerttc.com/

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.