Air retardant and water drops were being used in a bid to slow wildfires in Sequoia National Park/NPS

Wildfires sparked by lightning strikes have prompted some closures at Sequoia National Park in California, including that of a section of the Generals Highway.

The strikes rained down on the park Thursday as a lightning storm passed across the Sierra. The Colony and Paradise fires, which were burning in steep, rugged terrain, led Saturday afternoon to the uphill closure of the Generals Highway from the Sequoia Entrance Station to the Giant Forest Museum. In addition, both lanes of the road would close to traffic at 6 a.m. Sunday, while the Potwisha Campground closed Saturday night due to the two fires.

On Friday, the Crystal Cave and Crystal Cave Road were closed due to the location of the Colony Fire. Buckeye Flat Campground was also closed Friday due to proximity to the Paradise Fire. These areas will remain closed until the fire threat is diminished. More closures may be necessary in the coming days. 

While the Cabin Fire was kept to roughly 2 acres and was largely contained by Saturday afternoon, the Colony and Paradise fires were being attacked from the air with fire retardant and water drops. The Colony Fire grew from four acres to 72 acres overnight with zero percent containment, the park reported, while the Paradise Fire was approximately 32 acres in size with zero percent containment. 

The Kings Canyon entrance from Highway 180 remained open Saturday evening. The Generals Highway was open between the Kings Canyon entrance and the Giant Forest Museum in Sequoia National Park until further notice.

Reservation holders for Crystal Cave, Buckeye Flat Campground, and Potwisha Campground could expect to receive notifications and refunds directly from Recreation.gov. 

Visitors to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in the coming days can expect to encounter smoke, poor air quality, firefighters, and may see active fire from certain vista points. 

Numerous aircraft have been assigned to the fires over the last two days, including an air attack, six air tankers, two Type 1 helicopters, two Type 2 helicopters, and one Type 3 helicopter. Two more helicopters have been ordered to assist with suppression. The parks have received assistance from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, and have resources coming from Yosemite National Park, with more assistance expected.

Due to high fuels, low moisture levels, and limited resources, large spread is possible for these fires the park reported.