Angeles National Forest Offering Free Firewood Collection Permits

In an effort to help out families during hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Angeles National Forest began issuing free firewood collection permits Thursday to help keep the home fires burning, officials said.

The free permits are available for personal use only and allow each permit holder to collect up to 2 cords of fuelwood, the U.S. Forest Service said in a written statement. A cord is the amount of tightly-packed wood in a stack 4 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 8 feet long.

As the impacts from COVID-19 continue to be felt across the county, we remain committed to providing services on our public lands and doing what we can to help those in need,” the statement said.

Only downed wood may be collected, officials said.

To obtain a free permit, which are being issued through Sept. 30, those interested can contact resource officers via email at SM.FS.FireWdPermit@usda.gov. Including the phrase “free firewood permit” in the subject line is advised to expedite the process. The permits will be mailed out and must be carried while collecting firewood in the forest.

Firewood permits purchased prior to the closure of Forestry Service offices due to the pandemic, those permits remain valid, officials said.