KNP Complex Update October 23, 2021

Date:
October 23, 2021
Contact:Public Information and Media, (925) 588-6773

Acres: 88,307 acres
Containment: 60%
Start Date: September 10, 2021
Cause: Lightning

Jurisdiction: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks; Sequoia National Forest
Resources: 587 personnel including: 11 crews, 13 engines, 16 water tenders, 6 dozers and 7 helicopters

Containment remains at 60 percent on the KNP Complex. The fire has not gained any acreage; however, crews are continuing to strengthen areas of the fire which have not been declared contained. Many of these areas are in steep terrain that is difficult to access and contain numerous hazard trees. Burning logs and branches could potentially roll beyond the containment lines, embers may be carried on the wind, and areas of residual heat fanned by the wind could reignite. Firefighters must patrol to locate these dangers and mitigate them. The Incident Management Team will gradually increase the containment percentage when they feel the fire is unlikely to move beyond these control lines.

Firefighters are continuing to work on suppression repair in areas where the fire has been declared contained. Hand crews and machinery are working to repair dozer line and placing brush to act as natural barriers to prevent erosion and to slow excess stormwater runoff. Other suppression repair efforts involve using water tenders and graders to repair any damage to dirt roadways.

A Burned Area Emergency Response Team (BAER) has arrived and will spend the next two weeks assessing and gathering information throughout the burn perimeter. The team will be gathering data to minimize threats to human life and property, as well as ways to stabilize and reduce unacceptable degradation of critical natural resources. The BAER team's specialists will assess the effects of the fire on infrastructure, soils, the watershed, fish and wildlife, and vegetation. The team will then analyze this information and put together a final report with proposals about how to mitigate the damage. This report will be turned over to the Parks and Forest leadership, who will then work to implement the proposals.

Weather: A narrow corridor of concentrated moisture, known as an "atmospheric river" will move into the area bringing between 2-3 inches of rain late Sunday night through Monday afternoon. Some areas may see as much as 5 inches of rainfall. A Flash Flood Watch has been issued Sunday and Monday, due to the potential for flash flooding and debris flows.

Safety: Please be aware of and respect closures and reduce speeds when traveling in and around the fire area.

Evacuations: Visit: https://nifc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=4b2ac27b5c8943ed92c0e77aa94daca0.

Closures: Visit: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/closures/7838/.

FIRE INFORMATION
PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MEDIA: (925) 588-6773
EMAIL: e-mail us
INCIWEB: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7838/
YOUTUBE: https://bit.ly/2021KNPComplex
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sequoiakingsnps/ and https://www.facebook.com/sequoiaNF/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SequoiaKingsnps and https://twitter.com/sequoiaforest
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/Sequoiakingsnps

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