Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Sequoia Complex Fire Grows to 114,320 Acres, Threatens Tulare County Communities
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 5 years ago on
September 15, 2020

Share

The Sequoia Complex Fire has grown to 107,101 acres, with 12% containment, and continues to threaten the Tulare County community of Springville, as well as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, officials said Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning, the size of the fire was updated to 114,320 acres.

“A lot of hard firefighting is ahead of us and we are working to provide critical community protection.” — Mike Goicoechea, Sequoia Complex Fire incident commander 

In addition, the wildfire’s east flank will continue to threaten the Blackrock Ranger Station and other U.S. Forest Service facilities and the cultural values and resources in the Monache Meadows area.

On the blaze’s north flank, the Kern River Ranger Station, Quinn Patrol adjacent private land, and the national parks are threatened.

“Hand crews, heavy equipment, engines, and aircraft are all being used to attack the fire. Firefighters are aggressively fighting the fire and implementing point protection to protect critical values at risk,” officials said in Tuesday’s incident report.

“As opportunities allow crews are looking for opportunities to create containment lines, though delayed to extreme fire behavior. Resource shortage is limiting containment effort while point protection remains the highest priority.”

The fire was 90,845 acres, with 12% containment, on Monday.

Watch: Sequoia Complex Fire Report

Resources Deployed to the Fire

There are 819 personnel on the scene, including 12 hand crews. They have 62 engines, 19 water tenders, eight helicopters, and five dozers available.

Thus far, 3,483 residents have evacuated, and 104 buildings have been destroyed. Another 1,683 structures are threatened.

Aerial resources continue to be used heavily on the fire with 237,000 gallons of retardant dropped on Sunday.

The blaze is under the unified command of the Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 1 and Cal Fire.

“A lot of hard firefighting is ahead of us and we are working to provide critical community protection,” said Mike Goicoechea, who is the incident commander.  “We welcome Cal Fire Team 6 and look forward to working as a team of one and doing our best with them in this firefight.”

BLM Closes Case Mountain

On Tuesday, the Bureau of Land Management ordered the emergency closure of the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area near Three Rivers in Tulare County.

The closure prohibits public access to the Case Mountain recreation area, which is comprised of 20,000 acres of public land located south of Highway 198 and supports the only BLM-managed giant sequoia groves. Officials said that the closure was also needed to protect wildland firefighters. The closure is at this link.

Evacuations and Closures

  • Evacuation Orders and Warnings from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office may be found at https://www.facebook.com/TulareSheriff .
  • Tulare County residents are encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications at alerttc.com
  • The Red Cross has reopened an evacuation centeratPorterville Community College and opened an evacuation center at the North Exeter Community Building. For further evacuation assistance, call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS or https://tinyurl.com/yafetgkj
  • Park and Campgrounds closuresPotwisha Campground in Sequoia National Park; Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest; Tulare County’s Balch Park Campground; and all the campgrounds within the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests.
  • All National Forests in California are closed as of Sept, 9.
  • Current conditions in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: https://tinyurl.com/y3q9x5l8.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law Struck Down by US Appeals Court

DON'T MISS

Voice of America Parent Terminates Over 600 More Staff in Likely Death Knell

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Says It Is Suspending Enforcement of Biden-Era Farmworker Rule

DON'T MISS

Fresno County’s Ruth Fire Destroys Structure in Yokuts Valley

DON'T MISS

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s ‘One-Gun-Per-Month’ Law

DON'T MISS

USDA Develops Potential Plan to Vaccinate Poultry for Bird Flu

DON'T MISS

Trump Says He May Support Israel-Iran Ceasefire ‘Depending on Circumstances’

DON'T MISS

Fresno Now Has a Professional Shakespeare Co. Thanks to Measure P Sales Tax

DON'T MISS

Trump Says a Deal With Harvard Is Possible Over Next Week

DON'T MISS

Ohio Man Charged for Allegedly Threatening US Congressman Max Miller

UP NEXT

Fresno County’s Ruth Fire Destroys Structure in Yokuts Valley

UP NEXT

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s ‘One-Gun-Per-Month’ Law

UP NEXT

Town Hall Unveils New Season With Best-Selling Authors, ‘Jeopardy!’ Host, and More

UP NEXT

Fresno Police Investigate Fatal Shooting, Seek Public’s Help

UP NEXT

Fresno County Ruth Fire Burns 10 Acres Near Dunlap, Cause Under Investigation

UP NEXT

Fresno Council Waters Down Infill Housing Tool. Perea Says Compromise Could Be Worse

UP NEXT

Hips Don’t Lie, and Neither Do Ticket Sales: Shakira Adds Fresno Show

UP NEXT

Police, DA Refuse to Release Records on Latina Senator’s DUI Arrest Near Capitol

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Versall Johnson Henderson

UP NEXT

Visalia Police Investigate Assault at Local Bar

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Fresno County’s Ruth Fire Destroys Structure in Yokuts Valley

5 hours ago

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s ‘One-Gun-Per-Month’ Law

5 hours ago

USDA Develops Potential Plan to Vaccinate Poultry for Bird Flu

5 hours ago

Trump Says He May Support Israel-Iran Ceasefire ‘Depending on Circumstances’

5 hours ago

Fresno Now Has a Professional Shakespeare Co. Thanks to Measure P Sales Tax

5 hours ago

Trump Says a Deal With Harvard Is Possible Over Next Week

6 hours ago

Ohio Man Charged for Allegedly Threatening US Congressman Max Miller

6 hours ago

Town Hall Unveils New Season With Best-Selling Authors, ‘Jeopardy!’ Host, and More

6 hours ago

Trump Says His Spy Chief Gabbard Wrong on Iran’s Nuclear Program

7 hours ago

Fresno Police Investigate Fatal Shooting, Seek Public’s Help

7 hours ago

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law Struck Down by US Appeals Court

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked Louisiana from enforcing a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms of ...

3 hours ago

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill leaves the U.S. Supreme Court after justices heard arguments in an appeal by President Joe Biden's administration of restrictions imposed by lower courts on its ability to encourage social media companies to remove content deemed misinformation, in Washington, U.S., March 18, 2024. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Louisiana’s Ten Commandments Law Struck Down by US Appeals Court

A view of the Voice of America (VOA) building, a day after more than 1,300 of the employees of the media broadcaster, which operates in almost 50 languages, were placed on leave in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 16, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Voice of America Parent Terminates Over 600 More Staff in Likely Death Knell

A farmworker repairs irrigation lines at a tomato farm in Woodland, California, U.S. May 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 hours ago

Trump Administration Says It Is Suspending Enforcement of Biden-Era Farmworker Rule

The Ruth Fire in Yokuts Valley has burned 14 acres, destroyed one structure on Friday, June 20, 2025,, and is 20% contained as firefighters continue battling the blaze in steep terrain. (CalFire)
5 hours ago

Fresno County’s Ruth Fire Destroys Structure in Yokuts Valley

A federal appeals court struck down California’s “one-gun-per-month” law Friday, June 20, 2025, in a 3-0 decision, ruling it unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. (Shutterstock)
5 hours ago

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s ‘One-Gun-Per-Month’ Law

Cage-Free chickens are shown inside a facility in Lakeside, California, U.S., April 19, 2022. Picture taken April 19, 2022. (Reuters File)
5 hours ago

USDA Develops Potential Plan to Vaccinate Poultry for Bird Flu

President Donald Trump disembarks Air Force One upon his arrival at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., June 20, 2025. (Reuters/Ken Cedeno)
5 hours ago

Trump Says He May Support Israel-Iran Ceasefire ‘Depending on Circumstances’

5 hours ago

Fresno Now Has a Professional Shakespeare Co. Thanks to Measure P Sales Tax

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend