InciWeb
Wildfire
Prescribed Fire
Burned Area
Response
Other
Tuesday 24th, Morning update: The Rabbit Fire Incident Type 4 team’s main objective for the incident is full suppression with significant resource enhancement. Firefighters are consolidating unburned fuels and felling hazard trees as the Rabbit Fire incident completes the active fire portion of the project. Emphasis has switched to mainly cleaning up control lines and beginning mop-up operations. At the outset, the plan for this fire was to eliminate excess fuel loading on a portion of forest that had not had a fire in nearly 100 years. That plan has come successfully to its expected conclusion, and as soon as safely possible, the forest will be returned to full visitation. Drivers are advised that Quail Flat, Kings Canyon Overlook, and Big Meadows Road off the Generals Highway will require care and awareness as firefighters are using these areas as gathering points to conduct operations. Crews remain alert and extinguish smoldering material in areas close to public use. Patrols of all fire lines and interior fuel pockets continue to confirm that unburned fuels are consumed Firefighters are focusing on safeguarding the fire's perimeter while clean-up of the forest floor continues. Hazard tree crews will work with traffic controllers to safely limit delays while cutting to reduce impacts to forest visitors. Short delays on Generals Highway may be expected if hazard trees are deemed too close to the road. The assigned Air Resource Advisor and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for air quality will be advised of activities until the incident is closed. Visitors and travelers should be aware that smoke is expected to continue for several days. Potential smoke impacts on local communities should ease daily. Previous ignitions on the Rabbit Fire and the Big Stump prescribed fire will continue to see a clean-up of unburned fuels today.
Monday 23rd, Morning update: The Rabbit Fire Incident Type 4 team’s main objective for the incident is full suppression with significant resource enhancement. The Rabbit Fire incident is winding down from a very successful day of ignitions and firing on Saturday. The team expertly used the weather, fuel conditions, and fire personnel to accomplish all the day’s objectives. Those activities tied in control lines and effectively put the incident into clean-up mode. Firefighters are now consolidating and burning piles of excess fuel, felling additional hazard trees, cleaning up control lines, and beginning mop-up operations. Crews will continue verifying and extinguishing smoke (smoldering material) in areas close to public use. Patrols of all fire lines and interior fuel pockets continue to confirm that unburned fuels are consumed. Firefighters will focus on continuing line maintenance and clean-up of the forest floor. Quail Flat, Kings Canyon Overlook, and Big Meadows Road off the Generals Highway still warrant extreme caution as fire crews continue falling large trees in these areas. Short delays on Generals Highway may be expected if hazard trees are deemed too close to the road. Falling crews will attempt to keep delays as short as safely possible to limit inconvenience to forest visitors. The assigned Air Resource Advisor and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for air quality will be advised of any activities until the incident is closed, and potential smoke impacts to local communities should ease daily going forward. Visitors are advised that smoke will continue for several days, possibly weeks. They are NOT reportable occurrences.
Sunday 22nd, Morning update: The Rabbit Fire Incident Type 4 team’s main objective is full suppression with significant resource enhancement. Active fire from firing and ignition operations performed yesterday continues to burn today in the interior. Fire behavior has increased slightly in intensity with the weather. The fire will continue to slowly creep and back into the interior fuel pockets with occasional single tree torching. Fire crews have accomplished incident ignition objectives and are working on additional tree falling, fire line fortification, and monitoring over the next week. Quail Flat, Kings Canyon Overlook, and Big Meadows Road off the Generals Highway still warrant extreme caution as fire crews continue falling large trees in these areas. Short delays on Generals Highway can be expected for firefighter and public safety. Crews are busy closing off lines around yesterday’s firing operations and overseeing fire growth to planned specific areas. Firefighting crews’ emphasis is now mainly on line maintenance activities. Patrols are monitoring all fire lines and interior fuel pockets within the fire burn area. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones assist with mapping and monitoring fire on tough/dangerous terrain. Today’s operations will be closely monitored by the assigned Air Resource Advisor and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for air quality and potential smoke impacts on local communities. Previous ignitions on the Rabbit Fire and the Big Stump prescribed fire will continue to see a clean-up of unburned fuels today. Ignitions have stopped on the Big Stump prescribed fire until more favorable conditions for ventilations occur, likely this coming weekend.
| Current as of | Tue, 11/14/2023 - 13:19 |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | |
| Location | Big Meadows area x Rabbit Meadow area |
| Incident Commander | USFS-FS ICT4 Josh Acevedo/ Damon Rodriguez ICT 4-T |
| Incident Description | The Rabbit Wildfire originated from a September 30, 2023, lightning strike on the Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District. The Rabbit Fire has grown to approximately 28 acres. It continues burning with a low fire intensity as it creeps through and consumes the dead and downed trees and brush that cover the ground’s surface around the fire’s perimeter. Fire managers continue to evaluate the Rabbit Wildfire to determine the initial and long-term risks associated with the wildfire. This process considers of the firefighters and public safety, natural and cultural resources, and values to be protected. This revolving evaluation ensures fire managers apply a risk management process that minimizes unnecessary risk in wildfire response while maximizing the opportunities to achieve agency management objectives by providing for safety first. A significant role of the Forest Service is to manage natural resources on public lands, and the Rabbit Fire response decision includes objectives that include improving and enhancing natural resources while managing naturally occurring wildfires. To achieve that objective, Land and Resource Management Plans identify that fire plays a role in managing natural systems which is a primary mission |
| Coordinates |
36 ° 43' 5'' Latitude
-118 ° 53' 0
'' Longitude
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| Total Personnel: | 141 |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,856 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 100% |
| Fuels Involved | Timber (Litter and Understory), Tree Mortality area |
| Significant Events | Ground firefighting resources, including crews and engines, continue to construct control lines along primary control features, triage values at risk, and conduct ignition operations along the fires perimeter to moderate and control fire activity while improving and enhancing natural resources. This is achieved by re-introducing fire into a fire-adapted ecosystem that’s been absent of fire. |
| Remarks |
Weather: Today, the weather will be briefly warmer and drier. A high-pressure system will replace the low-pressure conditions and bring more normal seasonal temperatures at around 63º. Humidity will ease down at higher elevations and be accompanied by light terrain-driven winds. Wednesday is expected to be similar, with slightly increased wind activity. Closures: Fire personnel and the public's safety remain at the heart of the Fire Management team, National Park, and Forest Service leadership directives. Soft closures limited to roads and trails within the fire planning area will continue to be in effect for public safety as tree felling continues. Forest visitors in proximity of fire operations can expect to experience restricted travel. The intent of the closures is the publics and firefighter's safety. Smoke: Rabbit Fire smoke and air quality information is available at Fire and Smoke Map (airnow.gov). The next few days will bring the most stable atmospheric conditions, causing more smoke accumulations close to the surface. Smoke is drifting downslope through the night and then shifting to the north and east in the afternoons. It is typically following drainages in the Kings River Canyon and adjacent areas. |
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| Weather Concerns | WEATHER DISCUSSION: Today will bring a brief window of some warmer and drier conditions. High pressure will move EXTENDED OUTLOOK: Forecast confidence drops off markedly for late in the week. |
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