October 17, 2026 - The National Park Service and the U.S. Wildland Fire Service will conduct a 482-acre prescribed fire in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park beginning today, Oct. 17, 2026, weather conditions permitting.

The Grant Grove Day Ride Loop Trail will close starting Oct. 17. General Grant Tree Trail, North Grove Loop Trail and Grant Tree Road will close starting Oct. 18. Portions of the Sunset Trail will close Oct. 19. All areas will reopen when they have been cleared of hazards and conditions are safe for the public to enter.

Smoke may be visible from the park during and after the prescribed fire. Smoke can affect visibility and air quality. Fire managers will monitor smoke conditions and conduct the burn under conditions intended to minimize smoke impacts to local communities.

Current air-quality information is available at AirNow.gov.

This prescribed fire is part of Sequoia and King Canyon National Park’s ongoing land management program and is planned to restore and maintain the historical fire return interval and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Prescribed burns promote the regeneration of giant sequoias. 

Prescribed fire is a tool that is carefully planned and implemented by fire managers to safely apply low-intensity fire under specific weather and fuel conditions.

Additional information on this prescribed fire will be available on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

Source: NPS