Five Acre Eden Fire Burning in Sequoia National Park

The five acre Eden Fire as seen from the Mineral King Road approximately 1-mile east of Lookout Point.
NPS JZiegler

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. November 1, 2018 – The Eden Fire, located in Eden Creek Grove of giant sequoias, south of Mineral King Road is now estimated to be approximately 5 acres. This lightning-caused fire started on October 4, 2018 during a series of thunderstorms that came through the area the first week of October. While smoke may be visible from the Mineral King Road and other higher points in the Three Rivers Area, the fire is burning in the steep and rugged terrain of the John Krebs Wilderness and poses no threats to life or property at this time. As such, firefighters are not suppressing the fire with any direct or indirect actions, doing so would have more of a negative impact on the wilderness than the fire itself.

Giant sequoia groves have adapted for thousands of years to fire and the Eden Creek Grove has no modern recorded fire history. Managing small fires late in the year like this allows for the reduction of large unsustainable fuel loads created by over a century of fire exclusion on public lands.

“Going into an area with no modern fire history makes fighting unwanted fires harder and more dangerous during hot and dry summer months,” said John Ziegler, parks’ fire management officer. “We need to take advantage of opportunities like this during the cooler and wetter fall months.”

Additionally, there are no impacts to any visitor services in the Mineral King section of Sequoia National Park. The Mineral King Road closed to the public for 2018 on Wednesday, October 31.

Additional news releases will be issued as conditions change.

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. November 5, 2018 – The Eden Fire continues to slowly grow in the steep and rugged terrain of the John Krebs Wilderness in Sequoia National Park. This lightning-caused fire started on October 4, 2018 during a series of thunderstorms that came through the area the first week of October.

Located in the Eden Creek Grove of giant sequoias, south of Mineral King Road, helicopter-based firefighters, called helitack, mapped the fire from the air to be 151 acres on Monday. Despite the fire’s visibility, the fire poses no threat to life, property, or infrastructure at this time. Due to its location, with no direct access, and over a century of no fire history, firefighters are monitoring the fire via air.

Naturally-caused lightning fires are part of the Sierra Nevada ecosystem. Giant sequoia groves have adapted for thousands of years to fire and with the Eden Creek Grove in designated wilderness, suppressing the fire with any direct or indirect actions, would have more of a negative impact on the wilderness than the events of the fire itself.

“What we observed during our mission was the type of fire behavior that benefits these giant sequoia groves,” said Paul Stevko, lead helitack for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. “The dead and down ground fuels are being consumed with low to moderate intensity under the forest canopy clearing the way for new sequoia growth.”

Smoke is visible during the day from the Mineral King Road and other higher points in the Three Rivers Area. Additionally smoke may be visible from Moro Rock, nine miles to the north, due to the view Moro Rock provides over the Kaweah River watershed.
All areas of Sequoia National Park remain open as previously scheduled. Additionally, there are no impacts to any of the normal operations in the Mineral King section of Sequoia National Park.

Pictures, videos, and maps of the Eden Fire, please visit the official website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6248/