July 8, 2011 - Fire crews plan to begin ignitions on the Redwood Mountain Prescribed Fire, weather and air quality conditions permitting, on Sunday, July 10.
This 626 acre unit is located south of the Redwood Saddle parking area and uses the Sugar Bowl Grove Trail and the northern segment of the Big Spring Trail as its boundary. Ignitions will be completed over a four day period.
Redwood Mountain is home to one of the largest giant sequoia groves in the world and is also the birthplace of prescribed fire in the western United States. Starting in 1963 and 1964, researchers discovered that giant sequoias are adapted to fire and use fire for regeneration. Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks began using prescribed fires in 1968.
This unit was last burned in 1977. At the time, fire managers believed that this area burned too hot. However, an extensive crop of sapling sequoias demonstrated that these trees thrive in a relatively hot fire that opens the canopy, thins competing vegetation, and releases the tiny seeds to the nutrient-rich ash and mineral soil below.
Historically, natural fires occurred in sequoia forests approximately once every 10-15 years. Therefore, this area is not yet returned to its natural fire cycle.
The Sugar Bowl Trail and the north segment of the Big Spring Trail will be closed for this project. The Hart Tree Trail will remain open; however, hikers will have to hike one-way in and one-way out since trails that provide a loop will be closed. Hikers may be escorted through a short segment of the trail. Access to Big Spring will be via the Hart Tree Trail and then continuing south at the Big Spring Trail junction.
Visitors and residents should expect smoke impacts in the Redwood Canyon and Kings Canyon Overlook area in the day and towards Pinehurst, Dunlap, and the North Fork of the Kaweah River at night. Drivers on the Redwood Saddle Road may experience temporary smoke delays. Visitors and residents who are sensitive to smoke or have pre-existing respiratory problems should limit their outdoor activities, particularly in the morning, and keep windows closed during the fire. For more information about how to limit exposure to smoke, please visit http://www.airquality.org/smokeimpact/.
