The Eastern Sierras is characterized by steep landscapes going from ~4000 feet at the valley floor to over 14,000 feet at the Sierra crest. The valley floor is typically hot and dry in the summer dominated by high desert vegetation. The peaks are rocky and the vegetation adapted to alpine winters. In between are bands of shrublands and several forest types.
Little or no precipitation falls between April and October making the summer months hot, dry, and fire susceptible. Fire is an important ecological process in the Eastern Sierra, and many of the native vegetation types are well adapted to survival and recovery. However, human activities have greatly increased the frequency and intensity of fires in recent decades.
Wheeler Crest Fire Protection District 