As of Thursday, the York Fire spanned more than 94,000 miles and it had swallowed up some iconic Mojave Desert Joshua trees.
According to CNN, California incident management team spokesperson Marc Peebles said some trees have been caught up in the blaze and others could be burned. Cody Hanford, executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust said one of the densest Joshua tree forests are in the fire zone, per the outlet.
“We’re looking at sad outcomes for potentially millions of Joshua trees,” he said. “The fire is dramatically affecting the vegetation landscape.”
While they are called “trees” Joshua trees are actually succulents. These are plants, such as cacti, that store water.
“However, they are considered trees of the desert,” said the National Wildlife Federation. They typically have a single trunk and grow three to nine feet tall before branches develop. At the end of Joshua tree branches, there are “clusters of spiky leaves and white, rounded flowers.”
Joshua trees are most commonly found in the Mojave Desert and they were named by Mormons after the biblical figure Joshua. Since they grow slow, they tend to live for a long time – on average for around 150 years. One California Joshua tree is believed to be 1,000 years old.
According to the National Park Service, climate change is impacting Joshua Tree National Park, leading to fewer trees.
“It’s unclear exactly how many Joshua trees and other plant and animal life had been lost to the blaze, a Mojave Preserve spokesperson said,” per CNN. “Preserve rangers will conduct surveys by air and ground once the fire is extinguished to determine the full scope of the damage.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the York Fire was around 63% contained. It started last Friday and encompassed land in California and Nevada.
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