2023-07-31 23:18:51
The flames spread and create spectacular phenomena. A huge fire is currently ravaging the Mojave Desert and caused “fire tornadoes” this weekend in this region straddling California and Nevada, where many Joshua trees grow, according to US authorities.
The “York Fire” broke out on Friday and now covers more than 300 square km, without being contained at all for the moment, despite the efforts of more than 250 firefighters, according to a bulletin from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM ), a federal agency in charge of the area.
“Windy weather has a big impact on fire behavior,” the agency said. “In some places, firefighters on the north side of the fire observed fire tornadoes. »
Unpredictable, these columns of swirling flames are extremely dangerous for firefighters. They can “spread embers over long distances and start new fires at the front of the main front”, recalls the BLM.
A protected area affected by the flames
The blaze spread to Nevada on Sunday, with flames sometimes rising up to six meters high, but has not prompted any evacuations so far.
This fire is a disaster for the Mojave Desert, a protected area known for its biodiversity in the United States. In addition to the turtles, foxes and lynxes that roam this territory, this national park is also home to many Joshua trees, a species so emblematic of the American West that the rock group U2 planted it on the cover of their album. “Joshua Tree”.
These trees and their branches topped with thorns are now threatened by global warming. In June, the California parliament passed a law to protect them, in particular by creating a fund dedicated to their protection. In 2020, another fire, the “Dome Fire”, killed 1.3 million of these trees in California.
Hard work for firefighters
The extreme temperatures prevailing in the desert currently make the task of firefighters particularly difficult, the BLM pointed out.
The origin of the “York Fire” remains unknown for the moment. The fire started in the middle of a heat wave, which is currently affecting the American Southwest.
In Nevada, Las Vegas is currently going through one of its hottest Julys on record. In neighboring Arizona, the city of Phoenix just suffered more than 31 days in a row where the mercury exceeded 43.3°C (110° Fahrenheit).
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