CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Grouse Wildland Fire - 1,022 acres

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Inciweb: Grouse Wildland Fire - 1,022 acres - 67%

Grouse Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

Summary

The lightning caused Grouse Fire is holding at 1,022 acres and is 67% contained. This backcountry fire is located in the Golden Trout Wilderness near Grasshopper Flat along the Kern River in the Sequoia National Forest. Thanks to fire suppression efforts and sparse vegetation on the east side of the fire, chances of it spreading toward the Kern River, have been significantly reduced allowing the Forest Service to reopen Trail 33E01. This popular trail runs from Willow Meadow to the wilderness boundary near the Kern Canyon Guard Station in neighboring Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. The northern boundary of the fire is in steep, rocky terrain and will not be lined by a fire break. Firefighters have constructed hand line on the south and west flanks to secure the fire's perimeter. Due to the possibility of the fire spreading toward other nearby backcountry trails the following trails continue to be closed for public safety until the fire can be declared out or is deemed safe for travel. TEMPORARY TRAIL CLOSURES: Trail 32E06 from its junction with Trail 32E02 near Round Meadow to Trail 32E05, Trail 32E05 from Lion Meadows to the wilderness boundary near Coyote Peaks. The fire is currently unstaffed and is being monitored regularly by aircraft in the area. Visitors to the Golden Trout Wilderness should check with the Sequoia National Forest before traveling in the backcountry areas. For the latest information, please call the Springville Ranger Station at (559) 539-2607.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Lightning
Date of Origin	08/27/2007 at 00 hrs.
Location	52 miles NE Porterville in Golden Trout Wilderness
Incident Commander	Paul Gibbs

Current Situation

Total Personnel	1
Size	1,022 acres
Percent Contained	67%
Fuels Involved	Fire is in a transition zone from brush to timber in the Upper Kern Canyon.
Fire Behavior	No smoke has been seen in over a week.
Significant Events	none

Outlook

Planned Actions	Monitoring
Growth Potential	Low
Terrain Difficulty	Extreme
Remarks	Not expecting to take any additional suppression action. Winter snow will put the fire out.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	3-5 mph SE
Current Temperature	65 degrees
Current Humidity	21 %

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Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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