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Mt. Whitney Ranger District Fire Danger & Restrictions

Stage 1

Safety brief

Updated

High fire danger today.

Fire danger is high in the Mt. Whitney Ranger District. Campfires are prohibited in the backcountry, but allowed in developed campgrounds; confirm specific location rules before you go. Portable stoves with shutoff valves are permitted. Welding and torch operations are prohibited. Always check the latest weather and specific area regulations before your trip.

Restrictions

Campfires and Stoves

Equipment and Work

Shooting and Closures

Backcountry campfiresProhibited

Campfires prohibited in backcountry except in designated developed sites and specific wilderness areas with location restrictions.

Conditions

  • Prohibited except in Developed Recreation Sites listed in Exhibit A
  • Golden Trout Wilderness: prohibited within 2/10 mile of Chicken Spring Lake
  • Golden Trout Wilderness: prohibited within 2/10 mile of Rocky Basin Lakes
  • Hoover Wilderness: prohibited in Twenty Lakes Basin
  • Portable stoves/lanterns with gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel allowed with valid wilderness or campfire permit

Exceptions

  • FS Permit FS-7700-48 holders
  • Federal/State/local officers and rescue/firefighting personnel on official duty
  • Recreation residence permit holders at their residence
  • Organization camp, pack station, range permittee, resort permit holders at their facility
05-04-50-26-2305-04-50-25-05
Campground campfiresAllowed

Campfires allowed in developed campgrounds listed in Exhibit A.

Conditions

  • Only in designated Developed Recreation Sites: Cottonwood Lakes Backpacker, Cottonwood Pass Backpacker, Horseshoe Meadow Equestrian, Lone Pine, Lone Pine Group, Lower Grays Meadow, Onion Valley, Upper Grays Meadow, Whitney Portal, Whitney Portal Group, Whitney Trailhead
05-04-50-26-23
Propane fuel and camp stovesRestricted

Portable stoves/lanterns with pressurized liquid fuel or LPG allowed with fuel shutoff valve; wilderness permits allow gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel stoves.

Conditions

  • Must have fuel shutoff valve
  • Pressurized liquid petroleum or LPG only
  • Valid California Campfire Permit holders may use portable stove or lantern
  • Wilderness permit holders may use portable stoves/lanterns with gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel

Exceptions

  • California Campfire Permit holders
  • Wilderness Permit holders
05-04-50-26-2305-04-50-25-05
Welding and grindingProhibited

Welding and acetylene/torch operations with open flame prohibited.

Exceptions

  • FS Permit FS-7700-48 holders
  • Federal/State/local officers and rescue/firefighting personnel on official duty
05-04-50-26-23

Restrictions last checked

Near-surface wildfire smoke forecast

Estimated AQI*

0max avg 0 µg/m³ around 11 PM

Good wildfire smoke

Next 24 hours

Forecast updated Sep 9, 2026, 6:59 PM

District average10th–90th percentile

* Estimated AQI is an equivalent interpretation of forecast wildfire-smoke PM2.5 only; it is not an observed or official AQI reading.

Hourly wildfire-smoke PM2.5 forecast across the district
Local timeDistrict averagep10p90Estimated AQI*Smoke category
Sep 9, 7:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 9, 8:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 9, 9:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 9, 10:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 9, 11:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 12:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 1:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 2:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 3:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 4:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 5:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 6:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 7:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 8:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 9:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 10:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 11:00 AM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 12:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 1:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 2:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 3:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 4:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 5:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke
Sep 10, 6:00 PM0 µg/m³0 µg/m³0 µg/m³Estimated AQI* ≈0Good wildfire smoke

* Estimated AQI is an equivalent interpretation of forecast wildfire-smoke PM2.5 only; it is not an observed or official AQI reading. HRRR forecasts near-ground smoke; district values are area-weighted, conditions vary by location, and other pollution sources are not included.

Check current observed air quality on AirNow (opens in a new tab)

Recent changes

30-day fire danger history

Last 30 days

Changed from Moderate to High on Aug 27.

Open official source

Ratings and restrictions are collected from official source pages and may lag agency updates. Always confirm current fire restrictions, closures, evacuation notices, and emergency guidance with the responsible agency before starting a trip.

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