Evacuation warnings, road closures as Coffee Pot Fire reaches historic groves

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – The Coffee Pot Fire which started after lightning struck on Aug. 3 has reached a protected grove of giant sequoias, spurring evacuation warnings and road closures in Tulare County.

Per Cal Fire, the Coffee Pot Fire was 1,653 acres and 0% contained as of Wednesday afternoon.

Residents living in zones TLC-E094-B and TLC-E128-B near the town of Three Rivers are under an evacuation warning.

According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the fire has reached the historic sequoias groves near the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area. The 20,000-acre recreation area is closed until further notice.

BLM says the closed area contains the only sequoia grove complex managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Approximately 444 acres of six distinct sequoia grove units are under threat.

The bureau says the area is also part of the Milk Ranch Peak Wilderness Study Area and the nearly 20,000-acre Kaweah Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The latter is designated for the protection of cultural resources, riparian areas, and sensitive plant and animal species, including the Case Mountain giant sequoia groves.

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