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Fire Restrictions In Place At Sequoia And Kings Canyon National Parks

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By NPT Staff - June 4th, 2021

Vegetation in the Foothills area of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks is dangerously dry, according to park staff/NPS file

Fire restrictions were put in place Friday in low-elevation areas of Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks, a move that surely will be duplicated in many National Park System units in the West in the weeks ahead.

The restrictions are intended to reduce the risk of unwanted human-caused wildfires in order to protect people, resources, and facilities during the peak of the fire year.

The ecology and vegetation throughout the neighboring parks in central California changes dramatically with elevation. From the chaparral of the foothills to the sparse vegetation below jagged peaks, the parks must take a proactive approach to fire management.

“While the Ash Mountain Prescribed Burn is still scheduled to start Sunday, June 6, fire restrictions look at long-term trends such as seasonal changes and previous fire history,” said Chief John Ziegler, parks’ fire management officer. “We must use the full range of options – both offensive and defensive – to ensure that the parks’ resources and assets are protected through these actions.”

In places where campfires are allowed, you're asked to remember to extinguish your campfire completely when done. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave. Fire restrictions may also be extended or modified due to changes in fire danger and conditions within the parks.

Under the Stage 2 Fire Restrictions:

  • Wood and charcoal fires (including wood-burning stoves) are prohibited in Potwisha, Buckeye, and South Fork campgrounds. All fires and stoves are allowed in all other campgrounds.
  • Wood and charcoal fires (including wood-burning stoves) are prohibited below 6,000 feet in wilderness. Year-round elevation/site-specific wilderness fire restrictions also apply.
  • Wood and charcoal fires (including wood-burning stoves) are prohibited in Hospital Rock and Ash Mountain picnic areas. All fires and stoves are allowed in all other designated picnic areas.
  • Smoking is also prohibited below 6,000 feet, except within an enclosed vehicle, a building in which smoking is allowed, a campground or picnic area where wood and charcoal fires are allowed, or a designated smoking area.
  • Gas, propane, alcohol (with and without a shutoff valve) and tablet/cube stoves are still permitted in all areas.

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