Azalea
SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CA
Prescribed Fire Treatment

Started on or about
10/04/2009

Status as of
10/15/2009

Cause
Project

Location
Grant Grove (CA)

Acreage Treated
64

Estimated Completion Date
October 6th

Park Status
Azalea Trail will be closed during this prescribed fire.

Updates on Fire
Significant rain fell on October 13.

Overview
This 64 acre unit is located south of the community of Wilsonia and east of Highway 180. Ignitions will likely take one to two days to complete.

Vegetation Affected
Mixed Conifer

Benefits of the Burn
The Azalea Prescribed Fire is one in a series of concerted steps that fire managers have taken to reduce hazardous fuels in Grant Grove. Multiple mechanical thinning projects around Wilsonia and Grant Grove employee housing, prescribed fires over the last ten years, and coordinated efforts to create a “fire safe” community in Wilsonia have demonstrated that fire managers have been dedicated to reducing the fuels, involving the community, and achieving the ecological benefits of fire. Fire managers will be re-introducing fire to help restore the role of naturally cycling fire into the area. Fire allows forest to be thinned, opening the canopy and allowing sunlight through. It recycles nutrients to the soil while reducing the amount of dead, woody debris. This aids the sprouting and re-growth of plants, shrubs, and trees. Prescribed fire also helps to create a mosaic of diverse habitats for plants and animals.

Contact Information
Michelle Puckett or Debra Schweizer
Phone Number: 559-565-4287 or 559-565-3707
Michelle_Puckett@nps.gov or Debra_Schweizer@nps.gov