Tulare County wildfire creeps toward Three Rivers, triggering evacuation warnings

The Tulare County community of Three Rivers was placed under an evacuation warning Sunday night as flames from the weeks-old Sequoia Complex Fire chain crept closer to the foothill town.

An evacuation warning means there is a potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock, are urged to leave immediately.

The SQF Complex comprises fires that were combined last month — including the Castle Fire and the Shotgun Fire — in Sequoia National Forest. Since the wildfire’s start in late August, crews have attacked the blazes from the air and the ground but also have been met with challenging wind activity.

Unlike the Creek Fire burning to the north, the SQF fires have had favorable clear weather for air crews. However, the fire is threatening to expand westward.

The fire had grown to 74,304 acres, with 12% containment, as of Sunday night. As of Saturday, both the Castle and Shotgun fronts were less than a mile south of the Sequoia National Park boundary.

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Some fuels in the path of the fire have limited fire history, according to information from the National Forest Service incident website. However, the region has seen wildfires before, including the McNally Fire in 2002 and the Schaeffer Fire in 2017.

Fire officials announced Sunday they intend to bring in a Cal Fire Type 1 team, the elite crews assigned to the most troublesome blazes, and also divide the SQF Complex into two zones in order to get a better handle on it.

The fire previously had triggered evacuation orders or warnings in several small communities in and around Sequoia National Forest, with the latest alert from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office including the area from Balch Park to Three Rivers, along South Fork Drive.

Earlier in the day, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman said the Castle Fire made a strong push west. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for areas along Highway 190.

Communities already under evacuation alerts included Camp Nelson, Ponderosa, Cedar Slopes and Sequoia Crest.

The nearby city of Porterville, third largest in Tulare County, was not under threat as of Sunday, but fire officials said residents should stay alert.

Evacuation centers

A temporary evacuation center has been set up at the Exeter Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave. Staff from the Red Cross and Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency would be on hand until 8 p.m.

Anyone needing assistance in getting a hotel for the night was asked to call the Red Cross at 800-733-2767 and register as displaced due to the SQF Complex, according to a county spokeswoman.

Additionally, the Woodlake Fair and Rodeo grounds, 19400 Avenue 398, is taking in large animals who need to be evacuated. Smaller animals can be taken to the Tulare County Animal Shelter, 14131 Avenue 256 in Visalia.

For more information on sheltering small animals, residents are asked to contact Shelter Manager Cassandra Heffington at 559-679-6222.

‘Immediate’ road closure to Sequoia National Park

The looming threat to the Three Rivers area prompted Sequoia National Park officials to order “immediate” closure of the Generals Highway from Highway 198 in Three Rivers to the Giant Forest Museum starting at 6 a.m. Monday.

Officials who announced the closure said it was in direct relation to the fire and is intended to help lessen traffic in the gateway community should fire conditions worsen.

The announcement said the Generals Highway “will be closed through the duration of fire activity in this region.”

Visitors can still get to the park from Highway 180 out of Fresno.