What started the Joshua tree fire? How much of Joshua Tree burned?

The York Fire is a massive wildfire that has been burning in the Mojave Desert since July 28, 2023. The York Fire is already California’s largest fire of the year.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it has affected over 100,000 acres of land in California and Nevada, including parts of the Mojave National Preserve.

The fire has severely damaged the iconic Joshua trees, which are a rare and endemic plant species that are not adapted to wildfires. Experts estimate that the fire has destroyed tens of thousands of Joshua trees and that many of them will never regrow. The fire has also threatened the habitat of other wildlife, such as the desert tortoise, and altered the fragile desert ecosystem.

Firefighters have been working to contain the blaze while minimizing the impacts of suppression activities on the sensitive environment. As of August 7, 2023, the fire was 93 percent contained. The Joshua trees and other plant species burned by the nearly 94,000-acre York Fire are likely to never regrow.