9/11 AM Update

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French Fire Update – September 11, 2021

The French Fire started on Wednesday, August 18, west of Lake Isabella in Kern County, and has burned 26,535 acres with 87 percent containment. Great Basin Incident Management Team 6 manages the fire and is coordinating closely with the Bureau of Land Management and Sequoia National Forest.

  • This will be the last update for the French Fire. The fire acreage is reduced by 210 acres from yesterday, due to more accurate mapping. Future information can be found on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7813 and the Sequoia National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SequoiaNF.
  • Several resources were sent from the French Fire yesterday to assist with the new Windy Fire on the Tule Reservation, east of Porterville, California.
  • Today, the primary actions taking place on the French Fire are fireline repair activities, such as creating erosion water control structures and placing fallen trees across bulldozer firelines.
  • The only sections of the fire that remain uncontained are a rugged section around Black Mountain, where crews will monitor the fireline. Crews will continue improving and mopping up the containment line on the fire’s western side.
  • Firefighters are patrolling and monitoring the fire for any hot spots that may appear. Residents are advised to be cautious. Fire engines, water trucks, and utility vehicles will be on the roads.
  • The weather today will see a return to warm and dry conditions. Relative humidity will range from 15 to 25 percent and winds will be light and from the west.
  • Today, a local type 3 team will shadow the Great Basin Incident Management Team 6 in anticipation of transitioning management of the fire on Sunday.

Fuel Treatments:

Year-round, federal agencies conduct fuels treatments, including removing hazard trees, chipping, and prescribed controlled burns to remove excess fuels that can feed wildland fires near neighboring communities.

Improve Your Home’s Chance of Survival:

Homeowners can do their part in reducing wildland fire risk by creating Defensible Space, visit Ready for Wildfire.

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.