10/20/2026
CAL FIRE TCU will be assisting Calaveras Big Trees State Park with a prescribed burn from this evening through Wednesday. This is a great collaboration between two State agencies to accomplish one common goal.
This afternoon (10/19), crews began ignition on a 697-acre prescribed burn unit in the South Grove at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
California State Parks, with assistance from CAL FIRE, conducts prescribed burns to help manage the forest. Bringing beneficial fire to the landscape is planned and includes a written scientific prescription for each burn area. A prescription considers weather, available resources, safety, and ability to meet burn objectives, and each prescribed burn must meet all conditions before ignition. Ignition is planned for several days as long as conditions are right and resources are in place.
In October 2024, crews treated 1,145 acres of the planned 1,317 prescribed burn acreage in the South Grove. The prescribed burn in the South Grove this year will re-treat some acres that did not burn well enough to reduce fuel and promote giant sequoia regeneration as well as treat additional acres in the area.
Fire is part of the natural ecosystem for giant sequoia. Giant sequoia need beneficial moderate fire to aid reproduction, and they depend on fire for their long-term survival. Heat from fire opens cones and helps release seeds. Fire also creates the right conditions needed for large numbers of giant sequoia seedlings to sprout. It clears debris, creates a mineral soil seed bed, and allows sunlight to reach the forest floor. Beneficial fire like prescribed fire can protect giant sequoia groves from extreme wildfire. Please visit giantsequoias.org to learn more about threats giant sequoia face.
The South Grove area, including the South Grove Trail, Beaver Creek area, Bradley Grove Trail, fire road around the South Grove, the Walter W. Smith Memorial Parkway south of the Stanislaus River is CLOSED.
Press release: https://www.parks.ca.gov/NewsRelease/1579
