Fire risk closes section of Joshua Tree National Park over July 4 weekend

The conditions prompted the National Interagency Coordination Center to last week issue an advisory warning of the potential for rapid fire spread in California’s grass-dominated ecosystems, including deserts and dry valleys where the vegetation usually isn’t sufficient to support fire growth.

The weather service doesn’t expect to issue a red flag warning for the area encompassing Joshua Tree during the heat wave because the predicted wind speeds don’t meet the required thresholds, but people should still remain aware and take precautions to limit any potential fire starts and protect themselves against the extreme heat, Worley said.

The closure comes after the human-caused Geology fire burned 1,033 acres in the Pleasant Valley area of the park in June and July 2023, tearing through Joshua trees and desert tortoise habitat. Officials said at the time that the fire was stoked by invasive grasses, which helped flames spread to larger plants.

Farther east, the York fire, which resulted from a spark accident involving power tools, burned more than 93,000 acres in and around the Mojave National Preserve last July and August, likely killing more than 1 million Joshua trees.

The beloved, slow-growing plants have a hard time repopulating areas after such disturbances, and climate change is narrowing the habitats where conditions are suitable for their survival. As a result, scientists have been working to identify places where they can continue to exist; Covington Flats is one of those areas.

“The Covington area is important for the long-term survival of the park’s Joshua trees,” Travaglio said. “It is one of the few areas they may be able to reproduce and survive under hotter, drier conditions in the future.”

The area was also closed over the Fourth of July holiday last year for similar reasons.

The rest of Joshua Tree National Park will remain open, but a full fire ban is in effect until Oct. 1, meaning campfires, woodburning camp stoves and charcoal grills are prohibited. Fireworks are never allowed on public lands, officials said.