Single Publication

Acorn Fire: 5 acres - 80% containment

Packsaddle Fire: 47 acres - 50% containment    

Long Fire: 888 acres - 0% containment

Trout Fire: 6,643 acres - 0% containment

Total Personnel: 251

Current Situation: Hot and dry conditions paired with afternoon winds fueled intense fire behavior and growth on both the Trout and Long Fires on Tuesday. Fuels in the area are critically dry and extremely receptive to burning. Smoke from the 2024 SQF Lightning Incident continues to impact the surrounding communities. Firefighters have made great progress on securing the Acorn and Packsaddle Fires and as these fires are moved into a patrol status, all crews and resources are being directed to the Trout and Long Fires.

Acorn Fire: After working over the past several days to ensure that control lines are mopped up and secure, the Acorn Fire has been placed in a patrol status. This means that a majority of the fire is considered contained and that a local crew will monitor the fire perimeter today to ensure that there is no threat of flare up or escape. 

Packsaddle Fire: Activity on the Packsaddle Fire remained minimal on Tuesday with assigned crews actively mopping up hot spots and continuing to strengthen containment lines. The fire is 50% contained and firefighters will work through the day to hold and improve containment lines with the goal of significantly increasing containment by the end of shift.

Trout Fire: The Trout Fire remains active around its entire perimeter and showed significant fire growth yesterday. The fire moved east into Woodpecker Meadow and toward Smith Meadow. Firefighters started constructing control lines Tuesday along the Boone Meadow Road and will continue these efforts today with the priority of anchoring the fire’s western side. Crews have also been scouting and working on the northeast corner of the fire near the Bald Mountain lookout with the intention of holding the fire’s northern flank. Firefighters and crews will also be conducting fuels reduction and preparation work along the Sherman Pass Road throughout the shift in advance of the fire’s potential northern spread. 

Long Fire: The Long Fire was added to the 2024 SQF Lightning Incident on July 16, 2024.It is currently burning in the Domeland Wilderness south of the Long Valley Campground and near Palome Creek and South Fork of the Kern River. On Tuesday, when elevated temperatures and increased winds arrived in the afternoon, the fire overcame the eastern retardant lines, spotted, and spread significantly to the east towards the Chimney Peak Wilderness. Several hotshot crews as well as aircraft will be working together to anchor the fire’s western edge, construct control lines along the flanks, and try to stop the fire’s forward progress to the east. 

Weather: Warm and dry conditions are forecasted across the fire areas today. Increased southwest winds in the early afternoon will help lift the smoke inversion, but also improve conditions for fire activity. The warming and drying trend with critically low relative humidity is forecasted to continue into this weekend.          

Forest Closures & Restrictions: Lands, roads, trails and recreation sites around the Trout, Long, and Packsaddle Fires are temporarily closed under Forest Order No. 0513-24-11. Fire restrictions are also in effect under Forest Order No. 0513-24-10. Both orders, along with accompanying appendices and maps, can be found on the Sequoia National Forest’s Forest Orders web page: tinyurl.com/2en2d36k.