9/8 AM Update

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French Fire Update – September 8, 2021

The French Fire started on Wednesday, August 18, west of Lake Isabella in Kern County, and has now burned 26,745 acres with 72 percent containment.

Today, Great Basin Incident Management Team 6 assumed command of the fire and is coordinating closely with the Bureau of Land Management and Sequoia National Forest.

  • Tonight will be the last night shift, but firefighters will continue patrolling and mopping up around communities and infrastructure within the fire’s interior throughout the day. Residents are advised to be cautious. Fire engines, water trucks, and utility vehicles will be on the roads. Blocking the roads will inhibit personnel from getting work done.
  • Crews will continue monitoring, improving, and mopping up the line on the fire’s western side.
  • There is minimal fire activity on the north, east and south sides of the fire. Crews will continue to mop up and patrol the area and remove equipment. Some sections of line near Black Mountain will be monitored from a distance because the area has steep, rocky cliffs and cannot be safely accessed. Crews are also beginning the process of smoothing soil back over bulldozer fuelbreaks and other fireline repair.
  • Very dry and warm conditions with low relative humidity will continue. There will be a slight chance of dry thunderstorms Thursday and Friday, bringing lower temperatures and a slight increase in humidity. Gusty, erratic winds are expected to accompany any thunderstorms.

Public and Firefighter Safety

Please be cautious of surrounding activities and potential hazards in and around the fire area; fire resources will be active in the area. For information on returning home after the fire, visit Ready for Wildfire.

Road Closures:

Highway 155 remains closed from the Glennville side of the western boundary of the Sequoia National Forest to Rancheria Road at the Greenhorn Summit.

Fire Closures:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has a temporary closure for the Keysville Special Recreation Management Area to all public access due to wildland fire danger.

Closure Order of All USDA Region 5 National Forests in California:

On Monday, August 30, Regional Order 21-07 was issued, closing all National Forest lands in California to protect visitors, mountain communities, staff, and firefighters.

Fire Restrictions:

Public lands managed by the Sequoia National Forest and the BLM Bakersfield Field Office are under fire restrictions. The use of propane stoves with an on/off switch is permitted, but campfires are not allowed.