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Contact: Rebecca Paterson, 559-565-3129
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. June 16, 2017 – A vehicle fire was reported this afternoon in Sequoia National Park, approximately one-quarter mile south of popular vista location Ampitheatre Point. The fire then spread into the grass upslope of the vehicle. An immediate full-suppression response was initiated.
Law enforcement and fire personnel from Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Cal Fire, and Tulare County responded to the incident. Vehicle traffic was halted in both directions between the Giant Forest Museum and Hospital Rock to facilitate ground and helicopter firefighting efforts, and to provide for visitor and firefighter safety. Crews made swift progress, and the wildfire was reported contained as of 3:00 pm at one-tenth of an acre. The Generals Highway has been reopened to regular vehicle traffic.
There are currently no closures associated with the fire. The cause of the vehicle fire is under investigation. No injuries have been reported in connection with this incident.
With hotter temperatures predicted for the coming days and weeks, visitors are urged to take extra precautions to prevent accidental fire starts in the parks and in the community. Drivers should ensure that vehicles are in good operating condition before traveling.
Additionally, campers should take care to fully extinguish campfires before leaving them.
For more information about fire in the parks, please visit go.nps.gov/sekifire.
-NPS-
About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program
For over forty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.