Southern Sierra Fires – 9/29/2021

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SOUTHERN SIERRA FIRES

MAP KEY: The RED shaded areas at center of the map are our current Windy and KNP fire perimeters, The Tule River Reservation is shaded BROWN, Giant Sequoia Groves are shaded LIGHT GREEN, the past 10 years of Rx fires are shaded DARK BLUE, and LIGHT BLUE shows the past 20 years of fire history throughout the region.

*** 7am on September 29 ~ Chuck Ervin

Looks like things are really chilling out on these fires.  We are seeing a little bit of drying with the cold air, but the good news is that we didn’t have much of a wind event.  Looks like we got some stout northwest winds around noon yesterday, but in duration. Looking at this mornings IR, not a lot of growth and a lot of cold black. I might not have anything to report unless conditions change as we start warming and drying with our usual weather patterns. I hope to do some on the ground observations when these areas open back up.

 

WINDY FIRE

Commentary by Sequoia National Forest  –  Lookout Maps and Captions by Ryan Stephens

MAP KEY: Windy Fire footprint – RED PERIMETER LINE to the WHITE LINE shows approximately 24 hours of growth,Tule River Reservation is SHADED BROWN, Giant Sequoia Groves are SHADED LIGHT GREEN, all of the other color shaded areas on the map show the past 20 years of fire history in the area.

Overview looking east. 24 hours of Windy Fire growth and overview of fires that have burned in the region over the past 20 years:

***8pm on September 28: Sequoia National Forest – Windy Fire Evening Update

The following text is copied directly from a Facebook update posted by the Sequoia National Forest:

The Windy Fire is currently estimated to be 87,709 acres (a 391-acre increase from Tuesday morning’s reported acreage). Containment is 6 percent.
There were no spot fires today along the eastern perimeter from Ponderosa to Johnsondale. Crews extinguished hotspots along the firelines, which held today despite being thoroughly tested by today’s strong winds. South of Johnsondale to Baker Point, the fire continues to move eastward, downslope toward the M99 corridor and the Kern River. Firefighters are scouting the hiking trail along Tobias Creek as a place to stop the fire’s eastward advance. Crews also finished wrapping the Baker Point Lookout.
South of Tobias Peak, the full-suppression strategy involves constructing indirect containment lines because the area is too steep and full of hazardous snags for crews to safely suppress the fire directly. However, on the southwest side of the fire, direct suppression is more feasible. Although indirect lines are constructed, they are there as a backup plan; firefighters are using direct-suppression tactics along much of the southwestern and western perimeter, getting in closer to the fire’s edge to minimize its footprint.
On the northwest side, conditions allowed crews to complete the multi-day firing operation between the Two and a Quarter Road and Wheatons.
Aircraft are available and ready to assist but have been hampered in many areas by thick smoke.


***END WINDY FIRE

KNP COMPLEX

Maps and Commentary by: Ryan Stephens

*** 7am on September 29 ~ Ryan Stephens:

Not much to report around the fire. Very little growth over the past 24 hours. Most of the growth outside yesterday’s perimeter was firing ops securing the line to increase containment.

LOOKOUT MAP KEY: Giant Sequoia Groves are SHADED GREEN. The WHITE perimeter line to the RED perimeter line shows roughly 24 hours of fire spread.

Overview of past 24 hour fire growth looking east:

 


Yesterday’s Activity Map:

 

***END KNP COMPLEX