Single Publication

Acorn Fire: 5 acres - 95% containment

Packsaddle Fire: 47 acres - 95% containment    

Long Fire: 8,661 acres - 0% containment

Trout Fire: 10,489 acres - 0% containment

Total Personnel: 611

Current Situation: Thursday, the full suppression efforts continued both on the Trout Fire and Long Fire. Each fire presents its own hazards to the firefighters working in harsh terrain. To ensure fire crews’ safety, four medical teams are deployed to the fireline and a hoist rescue capable aircraft is on standby. Tulare County Sheriff announced an evacuation warning for the area north of the Long Fire and south of Kennedy Meadows. Today, members of fire management will conduct a fire information meeting in the community of Kennedy Meadows.

Acorn Fire and Packsaddle Fire: The Acorn Fire and Packsaddle Fire remain in a patrol status. Crews will monitor the fire perimeter ensuring there is no threat of flare-up or escape. 

Trout Fire: Thunderstorms brought strong outflow winds and lightning to the Trout Fire but little rain on Thursday. Decisive action by fire crews enabled them to identify a fire started by lightning outside the fire perimeter and quickly contain the new start. Today, the work of building control lines on the southern perimeter near Machine Creek continues. Crews will also focus on strengthening Sherman Pass Road as a control line. They are reestablishing control lines used during the Manter Fire near Kennedy Meadows as a contingency line.

Long Fire: The Long Fire continued burning in light flashy vegetation and experienced rapid rates of fire spread on Thursday. The area continued to experience hot and dry weather unlike the Trout Fire to the north. Today, firefighters will be working to build containment line along the southeast portion on both sides of the South Kern River. Aircraft will drop retardant to slow the fire’s spread to the north while helicopters support the firefighters along the southern portion of fire perimeter with water drops.

Weather & Air Quality: Neither the Trout Fire nor Long Fire are expected to see thunderstorms today. Localized winds will remain in the forecast. On the Long Fire, winds are predicted to align with terrain in the afternoon with gusts up to 20 miles per hour possible. The warming, drying trend, along with critically low relative humidity levels, is forecasted to continue through the weekend. A daily smoke outlook is produced for the areas and communities affected by the 2024 SQF Lightning fires (tinyurl.com/452x2uzr).

Forest Closures & Restrictions: Sequoia National Forest lands, roads, trails, and recreation sites around the Trout, Long, and Packsaddle Fires are temporarily closed under Forest Order No. 0513-24-12. Fire restrictions are also in effect under Forest Order No. 0513-24-10. Both orders, maps, and accompanying appendices can be found on the Forest’s “Forest Orders” web page: tinyurl.com/2en2d36k.

Evacuations: Tulare County evacuation warnings have been issued for zones TLC-E274-B and TLC-E261-B, the area north of Canebrake Road, south of Sacatar Trail, west of Inyo County line, east of the South Fork and Kern Rivers.