Current Conditions

Thomas Chavez, a longtime member of the Arrowhead Hotshots, took this photo on September 22, 2021, as firefighters burned an area of the Giant Forest to stop the spread of the KNP Complex wildfire.

NPS / Thomas Chavez

Page last updated September 26, 12 p.m.

The KNP Complex Wildfires

The KNP Complex Fires were caused by a significant lightning storm on Thursday September 9, are still growing, and have the potential to affect Sequoia National Park infrastructure and resources. We are aggressively attacking these fires to suppress them. The KNP Complex fires have been in full suppression since their discovery the morning following the lightning storm.

The KNP Complex Fires in Sequoia National Park was originally two fires from lightning occurring on September 9th, discovered and reported on the 10th and designated a complex on September 11th. The parks, in collaboration with neighboring agencies, are aggressively attacking these fires to suppress them. The fires are currently estimated at 44,828 acres (based on infrared flight), and are 8% contained. For updates, maps, and the latest information on how the parks are working to protect resources both inside and outside the parks, please visit the Inciweb KNP Complex web page.

As a result of the fires, the parks evacuated employees from Sequoia National Park. Additional evacuation orders are in effect for portions of Three Rivers. For details and maps, check the Inciweb KNP Complex web page.

Crews prepared the Giant Forest by removing fuel and applying structure wrap on some of the iconic monarch sequoias that characterize the most famous area of Sequoia National Park. Crews also protected buildings and housing in the Giant Forest, Lodgepole, and near park headquarters in the foothills.

Daily Briefings and Public Meetings

• Daily briefings for the KNP Complex Fires are being held virtally. View these briefings on the parks' Facebook page.
• Community meetings are announced on the InciWeb KNP Complex web page. Recordings for all meeting are available on that page and on the parks' Facebook page.

Road Closures

The Generals Highway is closed from the Sequoia National Park entrance (near Highway 198 and Three Rivers) to Quail Flat, 4 miles south of the Highway 180/Generals Highway Junction and 5 miles south of Grant Grove Village). California Highway 180 entering the Cedar Grove area is closed.

Area, Services, and Facilities Closures

All developed areas and most roads and wilderness lands are closed. These areas will remain closed until the fire threat is diminished, and listed closure dates may be extended:

• All facilities and services in both Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Parks
• All lands within the boundaries of Sequoia National Park west of the Pacific Crest Trail
• All lands of Kings Canyon National Park west of the Pacific Crest Trail and south of the ridgeline which lies north of Ionian Basin
• The Grant Tree road and the entrance to Grant Grove Village area and Crystal Springs
• The Cedar Grove and Mineral King areas
• All campgrounds in both parks. Campgrounds that would normally be open at this time of year are closed through 10/31, and this closure may be extended. Reservations will be fully refunded through Recreation.gov.

All lodging reservations, wilderness permits, and Crystal Cave tours have been cancelled. Check our Frequently Asked Questions about the KNP Complex page for details.

Air Quality and Smoke Outlook

Fires both inside and outside the parks are severely impacting air quality. Conditions are changing quickly depending on location, fire behavior, and wind and weather patterns. For real-time air quality information and location-specific air quality updates, visit the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map. We also now have a daily Smoke Outlook report for the KNP Complex fires

Please also visit our Air Quality Information web page. Most importantly, follow our current fire restrictions that prohibit wood and charcoal fires at all elevations to avoid human-caused wildfires when conditions are dangerously dry.

Neighboring US Forest Service Access and Closures

After a California statewide closure of USFS lands was lifted on Wednesday, September 15, many national forests are open. However, new closures in the Sequoia National Forest associated with the KNP Complex Fires are in effect. The closure order includes all national forest land around the Grant Grove area, along Highway 180 into Cedar Grove, and the Big Meadows and Hume Lake areas. Additional national forest areas are closed to the south of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks due to the Windy Fire. For more information and maps, please visit the Sequoia National Forest website.

Sierra and Inyo national forests are open.

 

Fire Information

• 

  KNP Complex Fires Information

  Learn more about the status of the KNP Complex fires (Colony and Paradise fires) in Sequoia National Park.

• 

  FAQs-KNP Complex Fires

  Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding the current KNP Complex fires, and related facilities and service closures.

• 

  Current Fire Information

  Information available here on all park wildfires.

 

COVID-19 Safety, When Parks Reopen

To promote the safety of visitors and staff, masks are required in all NPS buildings, on the Sequoia Shuttle, and while attending Crystal Cave tours, regardless of vaccination status. Masks are also require in outdoor spaces when physical distancing cannot be maintained, such as narrow or busy trails and overlooks.

We urge you to follow National Park Service guidance and CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

For the health and safety of others, please choose another time to visit a park if: 

1. You are experiencing COVID-like symptoms such as a dry cough, fever, difficulty breathing, and/or loss of taste or smell.
2. You had close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in the last 14 days.
3. You are self-isolating or self-quarantining because you may have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 or are worried that you may be sick with COVID-19.

 

Information on Neighboring Public Lands

Traveling to Yosemite National Park? Reservations will be required to enter the park for day use through September 30, 2021.

For information on the status of the Sequoia National Forest or Giant Sequoia National Monument (managed by the US Forest Service), visit the Sequoia National Forest website.

For information on Lake Kaweah (managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), visit their website.