York Fire has destroyed biodiverse properties owned by Mojave Desert Land Trust
The Mojave Desert Land Trust closely monitors the York Fire and the nonprofit’s nearly 560 acres within the burn zone in the Mojave National Preserve.
Once the area has been declared safe, desert trust officials will assess the York Fire’s impact and damage to its properties and habitats, rich in biodiversity and dense Joshua tree woodlands.
Firefighters battled “fire whirls” to partially contain the massive wildfire this week after the blaze ignited in a California wildland preserve and spread east into Nevada.
A fire whirl — sometimes called a fire tornado — is a “spinning column of fire” that forms when intense heat and turbulent winds combine, according to National Park Service officials.
The vortexes, spotted frequently on the north end of the York Fire, can be anywhere from a few feet tall to several hundred feet high, with varying rotational speeds.
Approaching monsoonal weather patterns have brought increased moisture and winds, which can cause the fire to spread more rapidly and unpredictably, firefighters said.
The York Fire on Wednesday morning was mapped at roughly 80,437 acres and 125 square miles, with 23% containment, making it the largest wildfire of the season in California.
Flames have destroyed countless desert scrub, juniper, and Joshua trees.
Firefighters experienced heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon, which lessened the fire’s erratic behavior.
Firefighters continued to build and reinforce containment lines overnight while mopping up and looking for hot spots along the fire’s borders.
More: Progress made against York Fire wildfire but flames threaten iconic Joshua trees
There are no evacuations. Park closure includes Ivanpah Road between Morning Star Mine Road and Cedar Canyon Road.
Hart Mine Road is closed due to hazardous wildfire conditions and fire suppression operations.
Mojave National Preserve is also under extreme fire restrictions. Fire agencies are asking the public to stay clear of the area.
Land trust properties
Lands were acquired in the preserve by the trust due to their significant habitat value, and with the intention of conveyance to the National Park Service at a future date, the nonprofit said.
One of Mojave Desert Land Trust's properties within the burn zone is in the Gotto Hills, at the heart of the preserve’s Lanfair Valley. The group said the parcel sweeps across 160 acres, reaching an elevation of 4,427 feet.
Another 17-acre parcel rises above a wash, its hillsides dotted with Joshua, juniper, and pinyon trees. The natural ore deposits once made it attractive for mining.
A biodiversity paradise
Wind-driven flames, 20 feet high in some spots, charred tens of thousands of acres of black brush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and the famous Joshua trees in the New York Mountains in San Bernardino County, the Associated Press reported.
Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, said it could take 200 to 300 years for the pinyon-juniper woodlands to become “a functional community again.” At the same time, the black brush scrub and Joshua trees are unlikely to regrow after this catastrophic blaze, which erupted without human intervention.
“We are heartbroken to learn of the devastating York Fire. The blaze has impacted some of the greatest ecological treasures of this National Park Service unit,” said MDLT Joint Executive Director Cody Hanford. “It has reached one of the largest and densest forests of eastern Joshua trees in Mojave National Preserve, as well as the remote Caruthers Canyon, a spectacular example of rich Mojave Desert biodiversity.”
Hanford added that the burned portion of the preserve is a world-class location for a desert wilderness experience appreciated by many.
“This fire is also tragic considering certain burn areas likely destroyed new plant growth that had begun establishing in the wake of the 2005 Hackberry Fire,” he said. “The chances of survival of those new plants are almost doomed.”
On behalf of the MDLT, Handford expressed his gratitude to the first responders and the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, and Clark County Fire.
Background
The trust has protected approximately 120,000 acres across the California desert and 27,990 acres within the preserve since 2006.
The MDLT currently owns and manages 4,015 acres within the preserve, they said.
Much of the land acquired by the Mojave Desert Land Trust has been conveyed to its federal partners. This work helps piece together public lands and supports the optimal management of natural resources. The trust has communicated more tracts of land to the National Parks system than any nonprofit since 2006.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: York Fire has destroyed Mojave Desert Land Trust biodiverse properties