The Fish Fire has grown to 1,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained. Lightning sparked the flames in the Golden Trout Wilderness Friday. A total of 118 personnel are responding to the Fish Fire.
The U.S. forest service says more resources are needed to fight the fire, but there is a shortage of firefighters and equipment because of all the fires burning in California and other parts of the country.
Incident Overview:
An area closure will soon be in place in the Golden Trout Wilderness between Burnt Corral Meadow and the Kern River, south of the Kern Ranger Station in neighboring Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Backcountry users planning trips to the Golden Trout Wilderness are asked to call the Western Divide Ranger District at 559-539-2607 ext. -0- for latest information on trail closures.
The Fish Fire transitioned from a local Type III organization to the Northern Arizona Type II Incident Management Team led by Incident Commander Matt Reidy at 6:00 a.m. Sunday. The fire is being managed in a full suppression strategy and is burning in a remote area with few natural barriers to stop fire spread. Additional resources have been ordered to assist with containment of the fire although competition for resources is high due to the large amount of fire activity in the western United States. Incident Commander Matt Reidy said, "The safety of the public and our firefighters is our number one priority followed closely by the preservation of the Golden Trout Wilderness Area." The public is asked to slow down and remain alert while driving in the area due to an increase in traffic between Porterville and the Peppermint Heliport resulting from fire response vehicles.
Smoke may be visible from the surrounding communities throughout the day and may settle in the valleys during morning hours.
Trail Closure in Golden Trout Wilderness
Trail Closures are in effect for the Golden Trout Wilderness North of Trout Meadow. Backcountry travelers planning hikes in the Golden Trout Wilderness are asked to call the Western Divide Ranger District 559-539-2607 ext. -0- prior to your trip for the latest closure information. Only those going into the backcountry are affected by these closures, all front country roads and campgrounds are open, however smoke may be dense in the morning hours due to it drifting down into the canyons.
Current Situation Acres: 1,000 Reported Date: August 23, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.
Cause: Lightning Location: 25 miles northeast of Springville, CA
Containment: 5 percent Fuels: Mixed conifer with brush understory
Terrain: Steep, rugged Resources: 3 helicopters, 2 hotshot crews, 1 hand
Total Personnel: 118 crew, 8 smoke jumpers For more information visit: www.inciweb.org
