Chimney Peak, Long Valley campgrounds and portion of the Pacific Crest Trail are closed due to wildland fire danger

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is issuing an emergency closure of the Chimney Peak Campground, Long Valley Campground, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in Tulare County, due to wildland fire danger from the nearby SQF Lightning Fire. This temporary closure is effective immediately, until further notice. The emergency temporary closure order can also be found on the BLM website.

The SQF Lightning Fire started Tuesday, July 13, and has burned more than 6,000 acres of short grass and brush near the Chimney Peak Recreation Area.

Chimney Peak Recreation Area includes most of the Bakersfield Field Office's Southern Sierra Recreation sites and Wilderness areas, including Domelands Wilderness, Sacatar Trail Wilderness, Owens Peak Wilderness, Chimney Peak Wilderness, Long Valley Campground, Chimney Creek Campground, Walker Pass Campground, the Owens Peak segment of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Lamont Peak and other wilderness trails. Only Chimney Peak, Long Valley Campgrounds, and a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail are affected by this order.  

The campgrounds are closed to all forms of public access to provide for public and firefighter safety in relation to the SQF Lightning Fire and management of that fire. The affected area includes all BLM lands south of Sherman Pass Road, west of Canebrake, north of Highway 178, and the boundary with Sequoia National Forest. The recreation areas are in Tulare County.  For specific questions related to the closure, please contact the Bakersfield Field Office at 661-391-6000. For information about the SQF Lightning Fire, please email 2024.lightning@firenet.gov, or call 559-492-9967.