-September 15,2021-
Three separate fires in Tulare County mountains started by lighting strikes have torched popular visitor areas, closed Sierra highways and threatened Giant Sequoia groves this week.The fires have led to evacuation of parts of the community of Three Rivers, along Mineral King Rd and Silver City Resort and the Mineral King Valley itself. Today as a precaution, it forced the evacuation of 102 room Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park near Lodgepole and Giant Forest.
“As of now we are closed” said an employee at the lodge Tuesday.
The General’s Highway from Three Rivers is closed although Highway 180 from Grant Grove remains open. Kings Canyon NP is open.
Two fires are burning in Sequoia National Park called the KNP Complex are comprised of the Colony Fire, located in the Yucca Drainage near Crystal Cave Road, and the Paradise Fire, located south of the middle fork of the Kaweah River.
As of this writing, the Paradise Fire is currently 2,531 acres, with 0% containment. The Colony Fire is currently 493 acres, with 0% containment.
Sequoia groves near at Atwell Mill, along the Middle Fork of the Kaweah and the largest acreage of Big Trees in Giant Forest itself -remain at risk.
The third mountain fire is above Porterville called the Windy Fire – on the Tule Reservation – threatens the Peyrone Grove of Sequoias and is at 974 acres and zero percent contained.
The fire was among eight lightning-caused fires in the Western Divide and Kern River Ranger Districts in the Sequoia National Forest that were caused by last Thursday’s storm.“The fire is also threatening or impacting numerous cultural and historical sites, cabins, campgrounds and sensitive species habitats,” the forest service added.
The Windy Fire was 4 miles from Ponderosa, 5 miles from Johnsondale and 6 miles from Camp Nelson. Residents in those areas were urged to monitor the progress of the fire.