Spring Lake, in the wilderness of Sequoia National Park
NPS/Rebecca Paterson
December 23, 2020 - SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, Calif. – Effective at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will no longer be in fire restrictions.
This decision was made following a determination by the parks’ superintendent and fire management officials that risk from unwanted human-caused wildfires has been greatly reduced. Therefore, campfires and charcoal barbeques can once again be allowed in all open designated areas of the parks.
Even with cooler temperatures and higher levels of moisture in plants this time of year, visitors should be extra careful when having a campfire, cooking, and smoking. One less spark, means one less fire.
“Please remember to put out all fires before leaving the area or going to sleep,” said Clay Jordan, Superintendent for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.”
Additional fire restrictions for backpackers are in place for wilderness travel to reduce impacts on fragile alpine ecosystems. Refer to the parks’ minimum impact restrictions online for specific location information at https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/minimum-impact-restrictions.htm
Additionally, fire-related closures in Sequoia National Park from this year’s Castle Fire and Rattlesnake Fire are still in place. Both fires remain uncontained and interior areas of smoke, flame, and hazard trees have been observed. For more information on closure specifics, please refer to https://go.nps.gov/2020sequoiafireclosures
For information on the other fire restriction stage levels, please visit https://go.nps.gov/sekifirerestrictions
About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ Fire Management Program
For over fifty years, our mission has been to use the full range of options and strategies available to manage fire in the parks. This includes protecting park resources, employees, and the public from unwanted fire; building and maintaining fire resilient ecosystems; reducing the threat to local communities from wildfires emanating from the parks or adjacent lands; and recruiting, training, and retaining a professional fire management workforce.
Source: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
