After three months of battling an intense blaze, fire management officials at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California have declared the KNP Complex Fire is 100% contained as of Dec. 16, according to Dec. 17 news release.
Lightning was responsible for igniting the fire Sept. 9, the release stated. Two fires merged and burned quickly through the area. They spanned through Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Forest, and other areas. The event led to evacuations and public land closures. It is also believed to have killed up to 5% of mature sequoias.
“We hope that total containment on the KNP Complex is a comfort not only to local communities, but to people everywhere who care about the parks,” said Leif Mathiesen, assistant fire management officer for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “While the onset of winter weather was the push we needed to reach full containment, it’s thanks to the incredible work of literally thousands of firefighting personnel that we were able to protect and save what we did. We’re very grateful to a lot of people.”
The KNP Complex Fire, which grew to 88,307 acres, currently, poses no risk to the public. However, it is possible the fire is still burning and could continue doing so far into the winter.
“It may be a matter of months or longer before the KNP Complex is officially declared out,” Mathiesen said.
Officials also warn that hazards are present within the KNP Complex and they will not be fully assessed until the spring of 2022. The hazards have led to some road closures and limited openings of the parks to the public. The Generals Highway between the two parks, traveling through Sequoia National Forest, is closed and is not expected to reopen until the spring at the earliest, according to the NPS.
The public can visit the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park and the Foothills area of Sequoia National Park now seven days a week. The Giant Forest Area is also open from Dec. 25, 2021 - Jan. 3, 2022.
