National Parks Service
All funds will go directly to saving the Mojave National Preserve and support those engaged in fighting and containing this wildfire.
A 43,273-acre wildfire burned through the Joshua Tree woodland of Cima Dome. On this page, we outline the story of the Dome Fire: What caused it, the firefighters’ response, its impacts on our natural and cultural resources, and what our road to recovery might look like.
The York Fire was mapped at roughly 120 square miles (284 square kilometers) on Monday night, with no containment.
The blaze erupted Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve, crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley.
The Mojave National Preserve is a significant hotspot for biodiversity, with one conservationist calling it the “crown jewel” of the deserts of Southern California. Joshua trees only grow in the Desert Southwest and far northwestern Mexico, and one of the densest Joshua tree forests is within the burn area, Cody Hanford, executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, told CNN.
“We’re looking at sad outcomes for potentially millions of Joshua trees,” Hanford said. “The fire is dramatically affecting the vegetation landscape.”
