California Wildfire Affected Areas: SQF Complex

Castle Fire 2020

Sequoia Complex SQF

Castle Fire + Shotgun Fire

Tulare County

174,178 Acres burned

228 structures destroyed


Lightning strike fires on the west slopes of the Sierra Nevada, along Western Divide Highway and Giant Sequoia National Monument. The lightning-caused Castle and Shotgun Fires were discovered on August 19, 2020, and later managed as one incident named the SQF Complex. 

The Castle Fire burned on portions of the Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument (131,087acres), Inyo National Forest (12,508 acres), Sequoia National Park (18,984 acres)

Castle fire swept through portions of 20 different Sequoia groves in the southern Sierra. The number of mature Sequoia Trees that died could easily top 1000.

Camp Nelson, CA

Pierpoint Springs

Ponderosa, CA

Sequoia Crest

Three Rivers, CA


Wishon Campground in 2000

South Sequoia National Park 

Giant Sequoia National Monument

Western Divide Highway 190

Golden Trout Wilderness

Sequoia National Forest

Inyo National Forest

Mountain Home State Forest

Mountain Home Sequoia Groves

Sierra Nevada Rivers affected by this wildland fire: 

Kern River, upper

Kaweah River, south fork

Tule River

2010 Tule River, North fork


Alder Creek Grove 
Alpine Meadow
Backbone Creek
Base Mill
Base Ranch Rd
Bear Creek
Belknap Camp Grove
Brownie Meadow
Burro Creek
Clicks Creek
Coy Creek
Coyote Creek
Deep Meadow
Deer Ridge
Dennison Ridge
Dillion Canyon
Dillionwood Grove
Doe Meadow
Dunn Fire Trail
Freeman Creek
Freeman Creek Grove
Flat Iron
Forks of the Kern Trailhead
Garfield Creek
Garfield Grove
Golden Trout Creek
Grasshopper Creek
Grouse Creek
Hell for Sure Creek
Hockett Peak
Hockett Peak Creek
Hole-in-the-Ground (Kern River)
Homers Nose Trailhead
Homers Nose Grove 
Hossack Creek
Jacobson Creek
Jenny Creek
Jerkey Trailhead
Jordan Peak
Jordan Peak Lookout
Junction Meadow
Kern Flat
Kramer Meadow
Lewis Camp Trailhead
Lion Meadow
Little Kern River
Log Cabin Meadow
Long Meadow
Meadow Creek
McIntrye Grove
Moses Mountain
Mountain Home Grove
Mountaineer Creek
Mowery Meadow
Needlerock Creek
Needles Lookout
Nelson Creek
Ninemile Creek
Osa Creek
Painters Camp
Pine Creek
Putman Creek
Quaking Aspen Meadow
Rancheria Creek
Rattlesnake Creek
Rincon Trail
Sequoia Crest
Sidehill Meadow
South Fork Grove
Summit Meadow
Touhy Gap
Touhy Meadow
Upper Kern Canyon
Wheel Meadow Grove
White Meadow
Willow Meadow


Smoldering Sequoia (months later)

Campgrounds affected by this fire:

Balch Park Campground

Belknap Campground

Camp Wishon

Coy Flat Campground

Frasier Mill Campground

Hedrick Pond Campground
Lower Peppermint Campground

Methuselah Campground

Mountain Home Guard Station

Shake Camp

South Fork Campground NPS

Sunset Point Campground

Quaking Aspen Campground

Upper Peppermint Campground 

Wishon Campground

Wishon Guard Cabin





Forest Roads affected by this fire:

Balch Park Road
Bear Creek Road
Nelson Drive
County Road 208 Wishon
Coy Flat Road

Forest Rte #20S40 Castle Road
Forest Rte #20S46
Forest Rte #20S71

Forest Rte #21S50
Forest Rte #21S78

Forest Rte #22S82 Lloyd Meadow Road