Lion, Sequoia National Forest

Lion, Sequoia NF.Ten miles northeast of Camp Nelson, CA. Timber, brush and short grass. Minimal fire behavior with flanking.

October 31, 2017 at 9:08 AM

The Lion Fire remains at 19,215 acres, and is 90 percent contained. The fire continues to hold along containment lines with very few hot spots interior. Hot spots have been discovered in Leggett Creek near Forest Trail 33E01. Firefighters will continue dropping water from a helicopter into those areas, with crews on the ground to help extinguish them where safe.

October 24, 2017 at 8:09 AM

The Lion Fire remains at 19,215 acres, and is 85 percent contained. The fire continues to hold along containment lines with very few hot spots interior.

The Forest Closure was terminated on Monday October 23rd, all trails have been reopened for backcountry travel in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Please call the Western Divide Ranger District 559-539-2607 Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. or go online on the Sequoia National Forest website to obtain a wilderness permit for overnight stay in the Wilderness.

Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal. Use caution when travelling through the fire area, especially through areas with unburned fuel that is still smoldering, a wind could cause the fire to grow unexpectedly. If you camp in the fire area, ensure your site is away from hot spots.

Firefighters will continue to patrol the Fire by helicopter until winter weather arrives and the fire can be declared out.

October 23, 2017 at 8:14 AM

The Lion Fire continues to smolder with minimal fire behavior on the east of Angora Mountain to the Kern River. Firefighters continue to make great progress on mop-up operations along the fire’s perimeter and continue to patrol containment lines. Smoke continues to be observed inside the perimeter of the Lion Fire.

Current acreage remains at 19,215 for the third day with 85 percent containment. Due to decreasing fire activity, the incident will transition to management by a Type 4 Incident Management Team tonight at 6 p.m. Crews will continue to monitor and repair the fire perimeter and mop-up any areas of concern.

The next Lion Fire Update will be Wednesday, October 25, unless significant fire or smoke activities occur.

Reminder: A temporary area and trails closure for the Lion Fire area, within the Golden Trout Wilderness, on the Western Divide Ranger District is in effect. The Forest Order is for the protection of National Forest visitors by prohibiting entry into the area while wildland fire suppression operations are taking place, helping to ensure both public and firefighter safety. Backcountry users planning trips to the Golden Trout Wilderness are asked to call the Western Divide Ranger District at 559-539-2607 for the latest information on trail closures.

October 21, 2017 at 11:29 AM

Little to no air quality impacts expected for the weekend as a result of Lion Fire smoke. Camp Nelson may continue to see some minor impacts from interior smoldering of the Pier Fire.

Fire: All significant activity remains on the far easternmost area of the Lion Fire, east of Angora Mountain to the Kern River. Very little smoke production is expected today.

The Lion Fire remains at 19,215 acres, and 75 percent contained. The fire continues to hold in the south and west containment lines with the fire remaining active on Angora Mountain between the Coyote Lakes Trail (32E05) and Shotgun Pass Trail (32E01) west of the Kern River.

Today, crews will continue to go direct on the fire’s edge with the support of water drops from helicopters, if weather allows. Low cloud cover in the area is creating a challenge for aircraft support this morning. Air support is prepared to assist ground crews once visibility improves.

October 13, 2017 at 8:32 AM

As of October 11th, the Lion Fire is estimated to be 13,980 acres, after growing 200 acres overnight. The fire continues to back down the southeast face of White Mountain and southwest face of Angora Mountain towards the Lion Meadow trail (32E02) that is being used to slow down the progression of the fire till it reaches the southern control line.

We continue to work with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to ensure that we are managing smoke impacts and only using defensive aerial ignition when it is necessary to moderate fire behavior and keep our firefighters safe.

Two hotshot crews are finishing the prep of Lion Meadow trail near Burnt Corral; this location will be used to conduct a defensive firing operation once the fire advances closer to the trail. In addition, prep continues on the southern control lines – summit trail and the north road.

We will continue to keep a presence in Lion Meadow to monitor and ensure that the private property and values are secure.

October 7, 2017 at 12:39 PM

The Lion Fire has now grown to 10,250 acres. It is burning slowly south of Coyote Peaks in the Golden Trout Wilderness of the Sequoia National Forest. The fire is backing down White and Angora Mountain ridges and working its way through the steep and rocky terrain south towards the Old Fish Fire. Crews continue to concentrate efforts to contain the fire along routes where firefighters can work safely while avoiding stands of dead trees and inaccessible terrain.

The fire is being suppressed with a confine and contain suppression approach. A confine and contain suppression strategy will keep the fire in a planned area, by constructing fireline, along with natural barriers limiting the fire’s spread. This strategy will allow for the mitigation of known and anticipated hazards to our firefighters while providing the highest probability of success.

Crews have mopped up hot spots directly adjacent to structures, and continue to monitor and patrol the private property adjacent to Lion Meadow. Fire crews have implemented structure protection operations by constructing fireline as the wildfire burns around this property, as well as providing structure protection at Grey Meadow and Trout Meadow.

Smoke Impacts:

As high pressure slowly builds over the region for the next few days nearby communities should continue to anticipate smoke settling into the valleys in the late evening or early morning hours, lifting in the afternoon each day. You can learn more about air quality and smoke by visiting either www.airnow.gov or www.valleyair.org.

October 5, 2017 at 9:18 AM

Crews continue to use backing fire to moderate any potential for extreme fire behavior.

October 3, 2017 at 10:04 AM

The Lion Fire, ignited a week ago by lightning, has grown to 1700 acres. It is burning near Lion Meadow in the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Sequoia National Forest. Forest managers are in the process of closing several trails to keep hikers from walking into the fire area. A map of the closure area will soon be posted on this website.

Part of Lion Meadow is privately owned by R.M. Pyles Boys Camp. Crews are implementing structure protection by constructing fireline as the wildfire burns within and around the private property. Crews mopped up any hot spots directly adjacent to the structures over the weekend to protect them.

Firefighters are improving trails, utilizing Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics (MIST), so they can be used as containment lines to stop the spread of the Lion Fire. This fire is burning through mostly ground fuels in this remote part of the Wilderness. Efforts to contain the fire will be made along routes where firefighters can work safely by avoiding stands of dead trees and inaccessible terrain.

Nearby communities should anticipate smoke settling into the valleys in the late evening and early morning hours. This is based upon inversion patterns that hold the smoke in low-lying areas. In the evenings, down canyon winds may push the smoke down the Kern River drainage. Fire managers will be working with the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District to monitor smoke emissions and their impacts.