- Title: 'We're heartbroken': York Fire ravages part of Mojave Desert
- Date: 3rd August 2023
- Summary: MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 1, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BURNED JOSHUA TREES CAUSED BY YORK FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARC PEEBLES, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AT CALIFORNIA INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 13, SAYING: “Desert fires are common, right? Because we do get weather systems that come through -- lightning fires you know, you might get vehicle fires out in the middle of the desert that spread into the vegetation. So there's a variety of reasons and a variety of topography in the desert.†VARIOUS OF BURNED JOSHUA TREES BY YORK FIRE DRIVING SHOT OF BURNED AREA VARIOUS OF FIRE UNITS MARC PEEBLES ON THE PHONE WITH FIRE UNITS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARC PEEBLES, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AT CALIFORNIA INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM 13, SAYING: “We had a significant amount of rainfall that occurred in southern California. And the deserts are no are no different. And so there is a larger grass crop that has sprouted up all over Southern California, also in the case here on the Mojave National Preserve. And so, you know, and those fine fuels, when they dry out or cure, they will they will carry fire into some of the larger vegetation.†VARIOUS OF BURNED JOSHUA TREES CAUSED BY YORK FIRE MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICES WALKING THROUGH JOSHUA TREES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICES , SAYING: “Basically, there's been about roughly 80 to 90,000 acres of Mojave National Preserve burnt during this fire. And it is the largest fire that this preserve has ever seen, at least in the recorded history of the last couple hundred years.†VARIOUS OF BURNED JOSHUA TREES FROM YORK FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICES, SAYING: “There is obviously tremendous damage to the landscape and to the viewshed and the things that people are used to seeing. So that's the immediate effect. It's sort of a torched moonscape appearance is what you'll see.†VARIOUS OF BURNED JOSHUA TREES FROM YORK FIRE MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE SIGN BURNED JOSHUA TREES FROM YORK FIRE HILLSIDE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICES, WALKING AND SAYING: “The York fire, what it's burning now, particularly when it's burning Joshua Tree Forest. The trees that are coded are going to look like this. Some of them will completely be ravaged. Joshua Tree isn't the most durable species, so it'll die. And this is one that you can see from a fire three years ago here. But if we keep moving in this direction, you'll see that some pockets of the desert survive burn, or they don't get burned. And as we look up ahead here, we'll see a Joshua tree that basically survived, even though it's surrounded by a forest of trees that were burnt. And then a little bit over here on the right, you see one that was burned pretty severely but also survived. So there can be hope in restoration that some of the plants will survive the fire and come back in a couple years to help reseed and re-germinate and repopulate new plants.†VARIOUS OF REGROWN JOSHUA TREE AREA BURNED 18 YEARS AGO MIKE GAUTHIER WALKING THROUGH REGROWN AREA (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICES, WALKING AND SAYING: “Here's an example of a fire from 18 years ago cooked very much the way that you're going to see the York fire. But we see, Cholla cactus returning. We see a Joshua Tree, that Josh Tree is 18 years old, from the fire. So there is some hope. Here is a young Joshua Tree over here. You could see it's a little bit smaller, but they do come back. They do grow. And we anticipate, even without a full restoration effort, that some of this will really naturally resource off into the landscape of desert savannah with occasional Joshua trees and cactus.†VARIOUS OF REGROWN JOSHUA TREES DRIVING SHOT OF DAMAGED LANDSCAPE BY YORK FIRE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MIKE GAUTHIER, SUPERINTENDENT NATIONAL , SAYING: “We're heartbroken to lose one of the most beautiful spots in Mojave National Preserve. It's really sad, Caruthers Canyon, it burned. But we also know that this fire has been part of the landscape for thousands of years. For millions of years. It's been a continual part of the landscape. And we're going to see it evolve. And so here we are three years later, and some of it comes back and some of it takes restoration home.†MIKE GAUTHIER WALKING TROUGH BURNED AREA CAUSED BY THE DOME FIRE IN 2020
- Embargoed: 17th August 2023 04:26
- Keywords: CALIFORNIA JOSHUA TREES MOJAVE DESERT YORK FIRE
- Location: MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: MOJAVE DESERT, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Fires,North America
- Reuters ID: LVA001174502082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:A fierce wildfire has ripped through California’s Mojave Desert, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The National Park Service said the York Fire was the largest seen in the protected Mojave National Preserve since records began. As of Wednesday (August 2) evening, the fire had claimed over 80,000 acres, including parts of Caruthers Canyon, known for its diverse ecosystem.
"We're heartbroken to lose one of the most beautiful spots in Mojave National Preserve. Fire has been part of the landscape for thousands of years. And we're going to see it evolve," said National Park Services Superintendent Mike Gauthier.
Rain showers helped slow the pace of the fire on Wednesday, but the area’s famous Joshua trees, which were once used by indigenous peoples to weave baskets and sandals and are today prominent cultural symbols cited in art, music and spiritual practices, were left charred.
Marc Peebles of California Incident Management said a wet winter led to a healthy crop of grass in the area, which helped fuel the fire.
"Those fine fuels, when they dry out or cure, will carry fire into some of the larger vegetation," he said.
All hope is not lost, though, Gauthier said. The Mojave Desert and its iconic Joshua Trees have survived and bounced back from past wildfires, most recently the 2020 Dome Fire.
"This fire has been part of the landscape for thousands of years. For millions of years. It's been a continual part of the landscape. And we're going to see it evolve," he said.
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