Tehipite Fire Grows to 2,431 Acres
Incident: Tehipite Wildland Fire
Released: 9/5/2008
The Tehipite Fire has grown to 2,431 acres according to a mapping and monitoring mission conducted Thursday evening. Of that acreage, 1,852 acres are within Kings Canyon National Park and 579 acres are within the Sierra National Forest.
The park and the forest are working in unified command with shared objectives to manage the fire.
The fire behavior includes creeping and smoldering with occasional pockets of torching-fire behavior typical in the mid-elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Both agencies are managing this fire to reduce risks and realize benefits of fire.
The Tehipite Fire is located in Tehipite Valley and the cliffs north and west of the valley in Kings Canyon National Park and is moving north in the Crown Creek drainage in the John Muir Wilderness of the Sierra National Forest. It is burning in old growth mixed conifer, red fir, Lodgepole pine, and live oak between 4,000 - 8,000 feet in elevation in steep bluffs and cliffs. This wilderness fire started by lightning on or around July 14.
The fire is being monitored by two firefighters near the fire, by fire look-outs at Buck Rock, by viewing the Buck Rock web cam, and by periodic helicopter flights. Steep, inaccessible terrain and the remote location of the fire present safety concerns for firefighters.
High elevation smoke from this fire is visible in the foothills and the Central Valley. Fire managers are monitoring smoke emissions and working closely with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.
There are no immediate threats to life or property. Firefighters on the Sierra are taking steps to protect the Deer Meadow cabin and the Johnson Meadow cabins. As a safety measure:
- The trail between Simpson Meadow and the park boundary remains closed
- The Blue Canyon Trail is closed at the park boundary
Lightning fires have shaped the beauty of the Sierra Nevada wilderness for thousands of years. In this case, the fire is being safely managed to promote forest health by reducing forest fuels and returning the natural cycle of fire to the park and forest. This area has missed multiple natural fire cycles because of fire exclusion policies.
Visit http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/swfrs display webcam lm.pl camera=buck rock 1 to view the fire.
-xxx-
