Little, Sequoia NF

Little, Sequoia NF, USFS. Five miles southwest of Lake Isabella, CA. Grass, chaparral and timber. Minimal fire behavior. Area, road and trail closures in effect. Last report unless significant activity occurs.

August 29, 2025 at 10:05 AM

The Little Fire is 2,506 acres with containment is now at 62%. Suppression repair will continue today.  Water bars will be installed on dozer lines and handlines to reduce erosion and hazard trees along roads within the fire perimeter will be mitigated.  

•  Northern Edge: Crews are maintaining containment lines, mopping up, and monitoring the area for any potential flare ups along the fires edge. 

• Eastern Edge: Fire activity remains minimal, with crews primarily monitoring and patrolling. Recent rainfall has reduced heat, and only limited work is required in this area. 

• Southern Edge: Firefighters are continuing mop-up operations and strengthening hand lines along the southern perimeter, working down toward SR-178.  

• Western Edge: Crews continued to strengthen hand lines along the fires edge and have begun mop-up operations along the fires edge. 

Contingency Operations: Dozers completed work along Delonegha Road toward the 26S06 Road. All equipment will now transition to suppression recovery operations in an effort to help restore the forest from firefighting operations. 

Weather and Conditions: Tropical mid and high-level clouds streaming over the region will provide a few degrees of cooling today. Clouds should clear out by this evening with warm and dry conditions expected overnight. A slow warming trend will start on Friday and extend through the holiday weekend and bring max temperatures to slightly above seasonal averages. Gradual improvement is expected with overnight relative humidity recovery. General winds will remain out of the west over the higher ridges with dominant slope winds in the canyons. Otherwise, a seasonal weather pattern is expected through Labor Day. 

Grass fuels have dried and are now available to burn following wetting rains earlier this week. Fire danger indices remain at or below seasonal averages. Pockets of residual heat persist in stringers of heavy fuels and within drainages. 

Evacuations: 

The Evacuation Order for Genasys Protect Zone: KRN-709-B has been reduced to an Evacuation Warning.  All other warnings have been lifted and the affected zones have been returned to normal in Genasys protect. 

Follow the link to view a map of the area in Genasys Protect 

Order: https://protect.genasys.com/search

Road Closures:

SR-178 is open.  

The Old Kern Canyon Road is closed due to mudslides.  

Forest Closure: 

The Sequoia National Forest has issued a Forest Closure Order for the Little Fire area until September 28, 2025.  Several campgrounds and a list of trails in the fire area have been closed.  Please check the Sequoia National Forest webpage or the incident on Inciweb for the list of closed facilities and the map: 

Order-0513-25-07-LittleFireClosureOrderWithMap.pdf

August 27, 2025 at 10:55 AM

Fire crews continue to make progress on the Little Fire, which is 2,530 acres and containment is now at 41%.

• Northern Edge: Yesterday crews completed a full day of prep work across the top of the fire, continuing mop-up and strengthening containment lines. Engine crews are active in the Rough and Ready area, where structures are being assessed and threats mitigated. Today, crews will continue strengthening lines and work on interior heat pockets.
• Eastern Edge: Yesterday was a quiet day in this area of the Little Fire, with crews monitoring and securing as much as possible. Conditions remain favorable, and today’s work will continue at status quo with minimal effort required due to recent rain.
• Southern Edge: Crews continued mop-up and securing areas toward SR – 178 yesterday, with conditions reported as “looking really well.” Today, firefighters will keep monitoring, patrolling, and strengthening hand lines to pick up any remaining heat.
• Western Edge: This area of the fire was worked with helicopters to address interior heat. Crews inserted to assist in securing work. Approximately 170 personnel will spike out overnight

Contingency Operations: Dozers are working along Delonegha Road toward  26S06 Road. Additional contingency preparation is underway on Bradshaw Ridge. These lines are being strengthened to provide added security if conditions change.

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for a 15-25% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with temperatures between 85°-89°F, relative humidity of 17-23%, and winds at 6-10 mph, gusting 15-20 mph. Stronger west/northwest winds may occur on exposed ridges. Looking ahead, Tropical Storm Juliet could bring additional moisture on Thursday or Friday. Fuels are burning at average to below-average rates, and no significant drying is expected.

Evacuations:

An Evacuation ORDER is in effect for Genasys Protect Zone: KRN-709-B. 

Evacuation Order Area Boundaries are:

North of Kern River Hwy

South of Basket Pass Rd

East of Kern River Hwy

West of Kern River Canyon Rd, Hwy 178

Evacuation Warnings are in effect for zones KRN-709A, KRN 708, KRN-712, and KRN-713.

Follow the link to view a map of the area under the Evacuation Order: https://protect.genasys.com/search

Road Closures:

SR-178 is open.

The Old Kern Canyon Road is closed due to mudslides.

Area Closures:

Keysville Special Recreation Management Area

The Kern River is currently OPEN for recreation

August 27, 2025 at 7:32 AM

Recent wet thunderstorms have lowered fire danger indices to the 60th percentile, well below seasonal averages. Despite these moderated conditions, crews continue to encounter persistent hot spots within containment lines, particularly in heavier fuels and drainages. As fuels dry, residual heat may resurface and contribute to localized flare-ups or fire behavior challenges, requiring continued monitoring and mop-up efforts.

Planned actions for the next operational period will focus on continuing direct line construction and reinforcement in Divisions Hotel and Oscar, maximizing opportunities for containment where terrain and conditions allow. Divisions Alpha and Zulu will transition to patrol, monitoring, and mop-up operations to secure completed line and reduce the risk of flare-ups. Approximately 170 firefighters will be spiked out at DP-30 to reduce travel times and increase operational efficiency in remote areas. The Contingency Group will continue scouting for opportunities to establish contingency lines in appropriate locations, with priority efforts along Delonegha Road and Bradshaw Ridge. Suppression repair operations will be coordinated with all divisions and Resource Advisors (READs) and will be implemented where conditions are safe and appropriate to do so.

August 26, 2025 at 12:59 PM

The Little Fire remains within its current footprint at 2548 acres and 29 % containment with crews continuing to strengthen fire lines and monitor for hot spots. Work is taking place in all areas around the fire. Thanks to recent rain, the fire is not spreading, however, firefighters continue to keep a close watch for hidden heat sources, especially on the northern and western regions of the fire. Even though the rain has helped, dry conditions could return quickly and reignite hotspots. Firefighters are also focused on keeping structures safe and ensuring community protection remains the top priority.

On the northern side of the fire, crews improved dozer lines and gave extra attention to a small flare-up at the bottom of one draw. On the eastern perimeter, crews are now focusing on monitoring the area. Hotshot crews are mopping-up and monitoring the nearby homes and buildings. On the southern side of the fire, crews are patrolling and making sure the fire perimeter is secure. On the western edge, firefighters are working around structures to make sure they are protected. Work continues on improving roads for better access.

Crews will no longer be working overnight. Instead, additional teams will focus on repairing fire-damaged areas and providing backup if new fires start. Resources are also being designated for quick response if needed.

California Interagency Incident Management Team 6 (CIIMT 6) assumed command of the Little Fire at 7:00 a.m. today, August 25. CIIMT 6 is working side-by-side with the Tulare County Incident Management Team to provide unified support and ensure a smooth continuation of operations.

Weather: Weather continues to help firefighters. Daytime temperatures are expected around 90-94 degrees, which is slightly cooler than last week. Humidity will stay higher at night, which helps slow fire activity. Winds are light to moderate and mainly come from the southwest. Fuels on the ground are still damp from about 1.5 inches of recent rain, so the chance of the fire spreading is low. There is a small chance of thunderstorms, but no major rain is expected.

Evacuations:

An Evacuation ORDER is in effect for Genasys Protect Zone: KRN-709-B. Evacuation Order Area Boundaries are:

North of Kern River Hwy South of Basket Pass Rd East of Kern River Hwy

West of Kern River Canyon Rd, Hwy 178

Evacuation Warnings are in effect for zones KRN-709A, KRN 708, KRN-712, and KRN-713.

Follow the link to view a map of the area under the Evacuation Order: https://protect.genasys.com/search

Road Closures:

SR-178 is open.

The Old Kern Canyon Road is closed due to mudslides.

Area Closures:

Keysville Special Recreation Management Area The Kern River is currently OPEN for recreation

August 25, 2025 at 8:54 AM

Moderate fire behavior with areas of moderate heat and isolated fires within the perimeter. Evacuation orders and warnings in place. Steep and rugged terrain making suppression efforts difficult. Crews are continuing direct handline construction. Hwy 178 has fully reopened.
CIIMT 6 (Fogle) mobilizing, tentative inbrief 8/25 @ 1200

August 24, 2025 at 7:08 AM

At approximately 3:00 p.m. Friday, August 22, 2025, the Little Fire started along the side of SR-178, 5 miles west of Borel Road. Multiple agencies responded including U.S. Forest Service, Kern County Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, and Caltrans. The terrain is steep and rocky, with extremely dry vegetation. The fire is under investigation. 

Evacuations: An Evacuation Order is in effect for zone KRN-709B. Evacuation Warnings are in effect for zones KRN-709A, KRN 708, KRN-712, and KRN-713.

Road Closures: SR-178 was closed shortly after units arrived on scene and will remain closed. The Old Kern Canyon Road remains open for travelers. Rancheria Road (25S15) is closed. Kern River access in the area for recreation has also been closed (from Borel Rd to Delonegha Day Use Area).

Area Closures: Keysville Special Recreation Management Area and Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area.

An Evacuation ORDER is in effect for Genasys Protect Zone(s): KRN-709-B. LEAVE now. 

There is an imminent threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access. Visibility in area will be reduced and roads may become blocked; if you do not leave now, you could be trapped, injured, or killed.

Evacuation Order Area Boundaries

NORTH OF

Kern River Hwy

SOUTH OF

Basket Pass Rd

EAST OF

Kern River Hwy

WEST OF

Kern River Canyon Rd, Hwy 178