Current:Home > ContactYork wildfire still blazing, threatening Joshua trees in Mojave Desert -Capitatum
York wildfire still blazing, threatening Joshua trees in Mojave Desert
NovaQuant View
Date:2025-04-06 01:18:08
Firefighters continue to battle the York wildfire in California and Nevada, which grew to more than 80,000 acres Tuesday and is threatening the region's famous Joshua trees and other wildlife.
The fire became California's largest wildfire of 2023 after starting Friday in the state's New York mountains in the Mojave National Preserve.
An unusually wet winter in California increased the likelihood of wildfires this summer, according to the United States Forest Service. Powerful winds from rainstorms this summer also could have caused the fire to "spread more rapidly and unpredictably," the Mojave National Park Service said Tuesday.
When the fire first began, the windy conditions, combined with dry weather, made the York fire unusually difficult to control, the forest service said. Crews battling the fire have seen flames rising 20 feet into the air, according to the air quality tracking site IQAir.
On Tuesday, heavy rain fell on some parts of the wildfire, calming the blazes a bit, the forest service said. There are no evacuations in place yet, authorities said.
The fire started on private land located within the Mojave National Preserve, the preserve said on its Facebook page. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
California's wet rainy season made wildfires more likely
More rain in California earlier this year meant more vegetation growth, which set up the possibility of an active wildfire season in the state.
Most of Southern California, where the York wildfire is burning, has received more than 100% of what is considered normal for the region's rainfall season, National Weather Service data shows.
York fire biggest of wildfire season
The York fire is raging in California's San Bernardino County and Nevada's Clark County, and has burned a total of 80,437 acres, California's department of forestry and fire protection said.
As of Tuesday, the York fire was 23% contained, park officials said.
In July, the Rabbit Fire burned more than 8,000 acres in Riverside, California, and has since been completely contained.
Invasive grasses likely spread York fire faster, officials say
Besides a wet winter, more invasive plant species in the Mojave National Preserve are making wildfires more likely there, the forrest service says.
"Increasing levels" of invasive grasses, like red brome and invasive mustards, are expanding across the desert and making wildfires spread more quickly, according to the forest service and the Mojave National Preserve.
"This is a departure from historic norms, as Joshua trees and other desert adapted plants have limited natural defenses or propagation techniques when fires occur around them," the forest service said.
York fire threatens rare wildlife in Mojave National Preserve
Extreme heat in the Mojave National Preserve in recent years already has taken a toll on the region's iconic Joshua trees, making it harder for them to reproduce, the preserve said on its website.
The enormous York wildfire will contribute to the problem.
"If an area with Joshua trees burns through, most will not survive and reproduction in that area is made more difficult," the National Park Service says on its website. "Wildfires could also result in the loss of irreplaceable resources in the park, like historic structures and cultural artifacts."
Desert tortoises, a federally threatened species, also live in the area where the York fire is burning. This week, the Mojave National Preserve said firefighters battling the fire were taking care not to disturb the animals' underground burrows.
"They will be on the lookout for desert tortoises, making sure to avoid burrows and active individuals," the preserve said on its Facebook page.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Desert Sun
veryGood! (91629)
Related
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- A veterinarian says pets have a lot to teach us about love and grief
- Celebrity Hairstylist Kim Kimble Shares Her Secret to Perfecting Sanaa Lathan’s Sleek Ponytail
- Vehicle-to-Grid Charging for Electric Cars Gets Lift from Major U.S. Utility
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- FDA gives 2nd safety nod to cultivated meat, produced without slaughtering animals
- Exxon Shareholders Approve Climate Resolution: 62% Vote for Disclosure
- Mass killers practice at home: How domestic violence and mass shootings are linked
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- The Coral Reefs You Never Heard of, in the Path of Trump’s Drilling Plan
Ranking
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- U.S. Spy Satellite Photos Show Himalayan Glacier Melt Accelerating
- The potentially deadly Candida auris fungus is spreading quickly in the U.S.
- What's closed and what's open on Juneteenth 2023
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Exxon Shareholders Approve Climate Resolution: 62% Vote for Disclosure
- How Miley Cyrus Feels About Being “Harshly Judged” as Child in the Spotlight
- Trump (Sort of) Accepted Covid-19 Modeling. Don’t Expect the Same on Climate Change.
Recommendation
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Empty Grocery Shelves and Rotting, Wasted Vegetables: Two Sides of a Supply Chain Problem
Jamie Lynn Spears Shares Big Update About Zoey 102: Release Date, Cast and More
Michigan man arrested for planning mass killing at synagogue
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
How Miley Cyrus Feels About Being “Harshly Judged” as Child in the Spotlight
Jessie J Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby Boy Over One Year After Miscarriage
NFL Legend Jim Brown Dead at 87