Fwd: Updates

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Fox, Dave P <Dave_Fox@nps.gov>
Date: Tue, Nov 10, 2020 at 2:33 PM
Subject: Updates

Friends,

I am just returning to the park from some much needed leave to find that roughly a foot of snow has fallen around the fire in the Hockett area. That should set everyone's minds at ease for the Castle Fire. While it's possible for the fire to continue burning in the duff and under sheltered areas, it no longer threatens the Mineral King valley. The team is currently winding down operations and preparing to hand the fire management back to the park. There are some great snowy views on the web cams.

I know this was a rather stressful time for all of us, and a great reminder of why prescribed fire is so important. When you look at the Castle Fire footprint, it seems odd where it just stopped burning on its own until you overlay recent fire history. You can see that in this photo below (red and orange indicate fires in the last 15 years, yellow is Castle.)

While no one likes to breathe smoke, you can definitely see the impact previous fires have on current fire growth. This is why I was feeling confident that this fire would never truly threaten these cabins. This picture shows the last 20 years of our prescribed fire history in the park. These fires may be inconvenient at the time, but the fire science shows that regular fire application will prevent catastrophic fires. 

We relaxed the closure in the Mineral King Valley as well. We are now on normal winter rules. I'm hopeful that we will be able to climb back out of pandemic rules as well before next summer and open up for regular business in May. Have a great winter, and let me know if you have any questions. 

Thanks, 

Dave Fox

Sequoia District Ranger

559-565-3710 office

559-565-3195 24 hour emergency