A general decrease in abundance of wild plant species used as sources of fuel suggeststhat more detailed information is urgently needed on species-level trends and their conservation. Suchstudies have not been carried out so far in India and elsewhere; we therefore quantified thespecies-wise extraction of fuel from a site (Gori Ganga Valley) in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary in theKumaun Himalaya. In all, 31 species (26 trees and 5 shrubs) were used as fuel, of which 14 were nativeto the Himalaya. Utilization patterns, distributions, probabilities of use (PU), resource use indices(RUI), preferences and availabilities in forest communities of these species were determined. Usepattern did not vary much amongst low altitude villages (Similarity: 52–74%), whereas along thevertical (elevational) gradient it varied considerably (Similarity: 15–31%). Woodfordiafruticosa (L.) Kurz, Pinus roxburghii Sarg., Quercus leucotrichophora A.Camus,Macaranga pustulata King ex Hk. f., Quercus lanuginosa Don, Engelhardtiaspicata Bl. and Mallotus philippensis (Lamk.) Muell. contributed most to collections,while Pyracantha crenulata (Don) Roem., Syzygium cuminii (L.) Skeels, Alnusnepalensis Don and Bauhinia vahlii Wt. & Arn. were in lesser demand. W.fruticosa, P. roxburghii, M. pustulata, Casearia elliptica Willd.,E. spicata, M. philippensis, Q. leucotrichophora and Phoebelanceolata (Nees) Nees showed high values of PU and RUI, indicating high pressure. High densityof P. roxburghii, Rhododendron arboreum Sm., Q. lanuginosa, Q.leucotrichophora, Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude, C. elliptica and M.pustulata amongst trees and Maesa indica A.DC., P. crenulata and W.fruticosa amongst shrubs exhibited high density but the remaining species showed low densityindicating their possible depletion. Intensive management of natural habitats of specieshighly-preferred for fuel, diversification of choice of species from natives to non-natives, largescale propagation of highly preferred taxa and plantation of seedlings in the degraded, uncultivatedand marginal lands through peoples’ participation should promote conservation and management offuel resources.