Regional Foresters and Forest Supervisors may issue orders that close or restrict use of certain areas. Forest Orders are implemented to protect public safety.

A Forest Closure order has been issued for areas near the Inyo Creek Fire in the Whitney Portal Area.

Please view the Forest Closure Order and the Forest Closure Order Map.

These closure orders are reviewed on a daily basis, and will be rescinded or revised as it becomes necessary.  At this time, there is no known date for 

Incident Start Date: 06/19/2021 Cause: Lightning Size: 586 acres Containment: 30% Incident Type: Full Suppression Vegetation Type: Brush and Timber Agency: Inyo National Forest, U.S. Forest Service
Resources Assigned: Engines: 21 Helicopters: 7 Fixed-wing: 2 Crews: 19 Water tenders: 6    Dozers: 2 Total Personnel: 589

Current Situation: The Inyo Creek Fire is now 30% contained and projected to continue burning in Lone Pine Creek and adjacent ridgelines today. Extremely low fuel moisture and persistent dry, windy conditions remain a challenge. Skies are predicted to be blue with cumulous clouds moving in this afternoon and winds blowing up-canyon from the east.

Firefighters continue to work in the steep, rugged conditions of the Lone Pine Creek drainage, and are prioritizing structure protection of historic cabins and Whitney Portal Store. Plans for trail restoration are currently being developed by resource advisors, including the construction of water bars – a technique to mitigate the effects of water erosion on trails. Trail access in the Whitney Portal area including the National Recreation Trail (NRT) remain closed to hikers.

Evacuations for Whitney Portal Reserve, all residents of Whitney Portal Road North of Horseshoe Meadow Road, as well as all the Whitney Portal and Lone Pine Campground are still in effect. Beginning at 8 a.m. today residents in the area east of Olivas Ranch Road are permitted to repopulate.

Closures: The Whitney Portal Road is closed at Horseshoe Meadow Road. If you have a vehicle at the Whitney Portal area, lease contact the Inyo County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 760-878-0383, Option 4 to request transportation.  Your information will be taken, and arrangements will be made.  All hikers that have planned to exit the Mt. Whitney Trailhead should use a different exit point such as, the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead or Onion Valley.

Fire Restrictions remain in effect for the Inyo National Forest and Bishop Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Campfires are allowed only in developed campgrounds and recreation sites. A portable stove or lantern using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel may be used with a valid wilderness or California Campfire Permit in dispersed areas. No fireworks are ever allowed on the forest. Smoking is allowed within an enclosed vehicle, building, a developed recreation site, or in an area at least three feet in diameter cleared of flammable material.

For updates and maps, please visit: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7564/

Due to a significant increase in fire activity in multiple geographic areas, as well as increased competition for shared resources, the National Preparedness Level has been elevated to Preparedness Level 4 (PL4).

In the last 20 years, 2002, 2008, and 2012 are the only previous fire years when the National Preparedness Level has been increased to PL4 in the month of the June. Since 1990, June 22nd is the second earliest we have increased to PL4. #FireYear2021

What does PL4 mean?  It is when much of the country is experiencing wildland fire activity and areas are competing for firefighting resources.  More than half of the nations wildland firefighting resources are committed.

National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) is a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Forest Service. Collectively these agencies manage wildland fire on nearly 700 million acres of federal public land, or one-fifth of the total land area in the United States. 

Contact: Marc Peebles          

(909) 855-4233

marc_peebles@firenet.gov

Repopulation of some areas of Inyo Creek Fire

 Incident Start Date: 06/19/2021 Cause: Lightning Size: 586 acres Containment: 20% Incident Type: Full Suppression Vegetation Type: Brush and Timber

Whitney Portal vehicle retrieval opportunity on June 24

LONE PINE, Calif. June 23, 2021 – On Thursday June 24 at 8 a.m. the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office and  California Highway Patrol, along with California Team 13, will be assisting people who had to leave their cars  at Whitney Portal due to the Inyo Creek Fire. This opportunity is dependent upon favorable fire behavior and may be cancelled if conditions become unsafe. Those who wish to retrieve a vehicle parked at Whitney Portal must arrive promptly at or before 8 a.m. to the Lone Pine Sports Complex, located adjacent to the Inyo County Sheriff Substation. Those affected will be escorted or transported (if needed) to retrieve their cars. Any hiking gear, backpacks, etc. must be left and secured at the Sheriff Substation prior to being escorted or transported to their vehicles. Please keep in mind that this recovery must be done promptly so as not to interfere with fire operations.

Other opportunities for vehicle retrieval will happen when conditions are deemed safe.

For updates on the Inyo Creek Fire, please check InciWeb at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7564/.

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Inyo Creek Fire Community Meeting Thursday, June 24

LONE PINE, Calif. June 23, 2021 – The Inyo National Forest will hold a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 24, 2021 to update the public on the progress being made on the Inyo Creek Fire.  The public meeting will be held at the Spainhower Park located at 430 N. Main St., Lone Pine, CA 93545.

Representatives from the Inyo National Forest, California Incident Management Team 13 and Inyo County Sheriff’s Department will be providing agency updates.

The Inyo Creek Fire is burning on the Inyo National Forest near Whitney Portal. The fire started on Saturday, June 19, 2021 and has burned over 640 acres.

For more information on the Inyo Creek Fire please go to https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7564/

Please follow the Inyo National Forest on Twitter @Inyo_NF and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InyoNF

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 Fire crews began the process of structure defense in the Forest Service Recreational Residences along the east edge of Whitney Portal by installing fire-wrap… 

Structure defense is a  multiprong approach of removing combustible fuels from around the structures, such as removing firewood piles and brush or limbing nearby trees, making the structure more resistant to ignition, and in some cases installing water pumps, hoses, and sprinkler systems.   Creating defensible space around your house or cabin makes this process much easier for firefighters.

One of the steps firefighters on the Inyo Creek Fire are doing for structural defense is completely wrapping the roofs and exterior walls of the structures in an aluminumized fire-wrap.  Similar to a large aluminum tarp, fire-wrap is designed to reflect up to 90+% of the radiant and convective heat from an approaching fire, this wrap allows firefighters to protect structures by making them “stand alone”, or not needing firefighters to be at the structure when the fire is approaching.

This is often used in areas where fire fighters have limited vehicle access, such as historic cabins in remote areas, or in areas where fire engines will have difficulty maneuvering on steep, narrow roads. 
 
 

 Closures: The Whitney Portal Road is closed at Horseshoe Meadow Road. The Forest is working with the Inyo County Sheriff on the road closure. At this time through hikers that have planned to exit the Mt Whitney Trailhead should use a different exit point such as the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead or Onion Valley. Hikers that have vehicles up at Whitney Portal should plan on another exit point. The car retrieval scheduled for yesterday has been cancelled due to the increased fire activity and the risks to public and firefighter safety. An announcement will be made when it is safe to try to reschedule the car retrieval escort.

Area and trail closures:
Mt. Whitney Trailhead
Whitney Portal Store
Whitney Portal Campground
Whitney Portal Recreation Residents
Lone Pine Campground
Meysan Lake Trail   

Road closures:
Whitney Portal Road at Horseshoe Meadows Road.
Hogback Road.

Incident Start Date: 06/19/2021  Cause: Lightning  Size: 410 acres  Containment: 0%
Incident Type: Full             Suppression  Vegetation Type: Brush and Timber

Resources Assigned: Engines: 25 Helicopters: 5 Fixed wing: 4 Crews: 7 Water tenders: 1 Dozers: 2

Current Situation: The Inyo Creek Fire grew significantly last night flamed by wind gusts of 35 MPH. These winds were a diurnal shift down canyon from the west, fanning the fire down canyon into Lone Pine Creek. This also caused multiple spot fires ahead of the fire triggering additional evacuations of residents at Olivas Ranch, Whitney Portal Reserve, and all residents on Whitney Portal Road North of Horseshoe Meadow Road. All of these additional residents were  safely evacuated last night.

A Type 2 Incident Management Team is on order to take over the Inyo Creek Fire. The team will be briefed this afternoon and take over the fire    tomorrow morning. Last night the fire also went into Unified Command with CAL FIRE due to state lands being threatened and the threat to structures.

Additional aircraft for today will include an Air Attack over the fire, 2 Type 2 Air Tankers that will be doing retardant drops, and a Lead Plane that helps to guide the Air Tankers. A Mobile Retardant Base is being set up at Lone Pine Airport and will be operational by this afternoon. This will help with aircraft being able to fill and return to the fire faster.

Closures: The Whitney Portal Road is closed at Horseshoe Meadow Road. The Forest is working with the Inyo County Sheriff on the road closure. At this time through hikers that have planned to exit the Mt Whitney Trailhead should use a different exit point such as the Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead or Onion Valley. Hikers that have vehicles up at Whitney Portal should plan on another exit point. The car retrieval scheduled for today has been cancelled due to the increased fire    activity and the risks to public and firefighter safety. An announcement will be made when it is safe to try to reschedule the car retrieval escort.

Updates: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7564/.

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