CALIFORNIA: The largest wildfire in California so far this year has burned precious Joshua trees, a prominent cultural symbol once vital for indigenous people to weave into baskets and sandals and still an important part of the Mojave Desert ecosystem.
The York Fire has burned about 38,000 hectares near the California-Nevada border and was 34 per cent contained as of Thursday (Aug 3), Calfire said.
The fire has damaged a diverse ecosystem and killed an unknown number of Joshua trees, which also gained international fame from the U2 album “The Joshua Tree” released in 1987.
The fire has scorched the Mojave National Preserve but has not entered the better-known Joshua Tree National Park, which is about 100km away and receives about 3 million visitors a year. The Mojave National Preserve receives less than a third that many visitors.
“There is obviously tremendous damage to the landscape. … It’s sort of a torched moonscape appearance,” said Mike Gauthier, superintendent of the Mojave National Preserve. “Some of them (Joshua trees) will completely be ravaged. Joshua Tree isn’t the most durable species, so it’ll die.”
Source: CNA
