As fire burns in Sequoia National Park, residents receive update. Evacuation order issued

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks officials joined fire officials Sunday evening at a community meeting in Three Rivers to hear residents’ concerns about multiple wildfires sparked by last week’s lightning storm.

The main takeaway: The fires are not an immediate threat to Three Rivers but other, smaller communities could face danger. Sunday night, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for areas along Mineral King Road.

The Paradise and Colony fires, which are being called the KNP Complex, have combined to scorch more than 1,000 acres with 0% containment as of Sunday’s latest update. The Paradise had grown from a quarter of an acre on Thursday to 807 acres while the Colony had grown from 4 acres to 230 acres as of Sunday afternoon.

Update: New evacuation warnings in place for wildfire burning in Sequoia National Park

The Colony, in the Yucca Drainage near Crystal Cave Road, does not appear to pose any threat to residents or their homes, officials said. Fire crews have been able to gain access to the fire, despite its location in rough terrain, and air resources have been extremely active. Officials told residents their main goal is to keep the Colony Fire just south of Crystal Cave Road.

Parks Superintendent Clay Jordan said, however, that ground crews have been unable to gain access to the Paradise Fire due to rugged terrain. The fire is located south of the middle fork of the Kaweah River. Crews have been using water and retardant drops from helicopters and other aircraft to slow the spread of the fire.

One resident asked about the fire moving toward Three Rivers and mandatory evacuations being called for the town. Officials said they are preparing for that possibility, but currently the Paradise Fire was pushing to the east (away from Three Rivers) and likely to hit Paradise Ridge overnight.

Jordan announced that a Type Two Incident Management Team was en route to assists the national park’s fire team along with Tulare County Fire and Cal Fire.

EVACUATION ISSUED

As of Sunday night, Mineral King Road was closed and Silver City and the Cabin Cove area on Mineral King Road were under mandatory evacuation, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office announced.

The Exeter Memorial Building is the temporary evacuation point for Silver City and Cabin Cove residents.

The sheriff’s office warned that there is immediate threat to life and advise people who live in the areas to leave.

This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 9:54 PM with the headline "As fire burns in Sequoia National Park, residents receive update. Evacuation order issued."