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Fire Threatening Joshua Trees Across The Mojave Will Be Contained In A Week
A number of Joshua trees have been destroyed by the York Fire
(
Michael Burchett/Mojave National Preserve
)
The largest wildfire in the recorded history of the Mojave National Preserve is expected to be contained by mid-August after torching over 93,000 acres of desert land and threatening a number of species, including the Joshua tree.
The York Fire erupted on July 28 and soon crossed into Nevada, sending occasional fire whirls and flames as high as 20 feet across a desert landscape thick with overgrown vegetation from the winter's record rainfall.
As of this weekend, the fire is at 93% containment. Knockdown is expected on Aug. 14.
Massive wildfires have become more frequent in the Mojave ecosystem. Just a few years ago, the nearby Dome Fire burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 1 million Joshua trees.
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Joshua trees are extremely vulnerable to fire.
(
Courtesy of the Mojave National Preserve
)
And the York Fire is similarly putting the state's iconic tree at risk.
"Joshua trees are extremely vulnerable to fire and most of them do die when they're burned," said Sasha Travaglio, National Park Service spokesperson.
"While there are areas in which nearly 100% of these trees burned, there are large unburned areas of trees within the fire parameters. So there is some good news," she said.
Land managers will survey the impact of the fire on the trees in the coming weeks. Travaglio added that rehabilitation could take years.
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