High Sierra Topix

We love to have fire at night when we are below 10000 ft. This year fires are not allowed in Kings Canyon - my husband just returned with his friends after making Rae Lakes loop. They were not allowed to have fire even in low altitudes , even with it was raining almost every night.

Where can I get current info about other areas? We go next weekend from Bishop (South Lake) to Evolution valley and then to Yosemite.

Inyo NF: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 425849.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Sierra NF: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 427487.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

about the only wilderness not in a stage II ban (stoves only) appears to be yosemite. Sequoia Nat Forest is also banning campfires outside campgrounds.

and you should talk to yosemite rangers before you start hiking - the ban could be put in place any day now....

Wow! Thanks for information. I thought it was only Kings Canyon. We need to take more gas. Usually we cook on fire where it is possible, especially fish, it's much better cooked in the foil on the fire. Anyway, it's good to know.

Yosemite has been in stage II since 7/1/13.
http://www.nps.gov/seki/naturescience/f ... ctions.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

they need to tell the staff that then!!! someone in the wilderness office told me otherwise today.

Never mind AT, had typed in "Yosemite fire restrictions 2013" and the link that
I posted came up and did not notice it gave me SEKI, and not Yosemite, my bad.
So Yosemite is still okay, as of now.

I am frankly surprised that Yosemite isn't banning - but it's nowhere on the website. Since they can be slow updating sometimes I called, and Mr. Ranger said no, not currently. I wouldn't place bets on how long they are allowing campfires below 9600 feet and above 6000 feet.... but for now, it seems to be allowed.

I wonder if Yosemite might not have any current problems due to managed undergrowth. This has been a little while now but I remember driving from the valley up to TM in summer of 2002 (I remember because it was in middle of DC sniper rampage). Fire crews were setting and controlling at least a dozen different small fires to clear the undergrowth. The weather was relatively cool, cloudy, and humid with no wind. I remember thinking how well they picked the right conditions. The smoke was so thick that our asthma kicked in for all 3 of us. They had the fires all so well managed that the road was open all the way through. Only the floor was burning, nothing at all was aflame in the understory, canopy, or crown, which made me wonder if it had only been a few years since the last time they had done this.

I don't know how often they do this and how much area they cover, but I have to wonder if they have done it recently. If you do this often enough, all it does is clear the floor. Not enough kindling accumulates to ignite the trees themselves and the floor recovers the following spring.

If this is the case and not much undergrowth has built up since the last managed burns, that might mean they don't have to worry about human caused fires. If one did get started under such circumstances, there wouldn't be enough fuel on the floor to ignite the trees themselves.

Don't know if this is the case, but I have to wonder.