Tehipite Fire Shows Increased Growth to 4,337 Acre
Incident: Tehipite Wildland Fire
Released: 9/9/2008
Tehipite Fires Shows Increased Growth to 4,337 Acres
The Tehipite Fire has grown to 4,337 acres as of Monday afternoon. Of that acreage, 2,353 acres are within Kings Canyon National Park and 1,984 acres are within the Sierra National Forest. The park and the forest are working together to manage the fire.In the last several days, the fire has shown increased activity and growth including within the Scepter and Crown Creek drainages on the Sierra National Forest and northwest of Tehipite Valley and north to Kettle Dome in Kings Canyon National Park.The Tehipite Fire is located in Tehipite Valley and the cliffs north of the valley in Kings Canyon National Park and is moving north and east 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 - 8,500 feet in elevation in steep cliffs. This wilderness fire started by lightning on or around July 14. Backcountry users in Kings Canyon National Park and the Sierra National Forest may experience smoky conditions. Current weather conditions will likely result in eastern dispersal of the smoke. Fire managers are monitoring smoke emissions and working closely with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.The fire is being monitored by 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. There are no immediate threats to life or property. Firefighters on the Sierra are taking steps to protect the Deer Meadow cabin, the Johnson Meadow cabins, and the Crown Valley Guard Station. 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
Like any natural fire, the Tehipite Fire's range of behavior includes slow creeping growth punctuated by periods of accelerated spread when weather conditions, available fuels, and topography allow. To view the fire, visit http://sierrafire.cr.usgs.gov/cgi-bin/swfrs display webcam lm.pl camera=buck rock 1.
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