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York Fire

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Coordinates: 35°11′30.8″N 115°19′2.6″W / 35.191889°N 115.317389°W / 35.191889; -115.317389
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York Fire
The York Fire burns among Joshua trees and brush on July 29
Date(s)July 28, 2023 (2023-07-28) – August 19, 2023 (2023-08-19)
LocationMojave National Preserve,
San Bernardino County, California
&
Clark County, Nevada
Coordinates35°11′30.8″N 115°19′2.6″W / 35.191889°N 115.317389°W / 35.191889; -115.317389
Statistics
Burned area93,078 acres (37,667 ha)
Impacts
Structures destroyed3
Ignition
CauseUndetermined
Map
Map
Perimeter of York Fire (map data)
York Fire is located in California
York Fire
The fire's location in southern California

The York Fire was a large wildfire in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, California, and in Clark County, Nevada. The fire burned 93,078 acres (37,667 ha). The cause of the fire is undetermined.[1]

Background

The Mojave National Preserve saw increased fire frequency in the decade preceding the York Fire, with increasing numbers of invasive grasses in the Mojave and Colorado deserts. California's wet winter of 2022–2023 was another contributing factor, helping load the desert with brush that became fuel for the York Fire. The last major fire in the Preserve was the lightning-ignited Dome Fire in 2020, which burned 43,273 acres (17,512 ha) and killed more than a million Joshua trees.[1][2][3]

History

July

The fire began on July 28, 2023, on private land,[4] near the New York Mountains within the Mojave National Preserve in eastern San Bernardino County.[3] It was first observed burning in the area of Caruthers Canyon.[5] By the morning of July 29, after burning actively in the night, the fire had burned a total of 4,200 acres (1,700 ha).[6] Weather conditions were uncooperative for firefighters: breezes out of the south and southwest helped push the fire northeast, and occasional showers and thunderstorms nearby generated sudden and erratic winds.[5] This enabled the fire's rapid spread northward: by the evening of July 29th, the fire was estimated to have burned approximately 30,000 acres (12,000 ha), remaining at 0% containment.[7][8]

The following morning, on July 29, the fire was mapped at more than 68,000 acres (28,000 ha), becoming the largest wildfire of the year in the United States (surpassing the Newell Road Fire in Washington). At approximately 3:30 p.m. on July 30, the fire burned across the Nevada state line into Clark County,[9][10] burning an unknown number of acres within Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. Firefighting was complicated by restrictions on ecologically-damaging tactics, such as using bulldozers to scrape firebreaks.[11]

Impacts

Closures

Closures were in place for multiple roads and campgrounds in the Preserve.[1] Sections of State Route 164 and U.S. Route 95 in Nevada were temporarily closed because of hazardous driving conditions from the fire on July 30.[12][13]

Damage

The York Fire destroyed 3 structures in Caruthers Canyon on July 28, including the Kousch House, an unoccupied dwelling owned by the National Park Service. The building was eligible for, but not listed on, the National Register of Historic Places.[14]

The Kousch House before it was destroyed by the fire

References

  1. ^ a b c "2023 - York Fire Information". InciWeb. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "Dome Fire – Mojave National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)". National Park Service. November 19, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Luna, Taryn; Sahagún, Louis (July 31, 2023). "Wildfire burns at California-Nevada border, spawning fire tornadoes, torching desert landscape". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-31-23 @8:30am". InciWeb. July 31, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Luna, Taryn (July 30, 2023). "70,000-acre California wildfire crosses into Nevada, is 0% contained". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  6. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-29-23 @9:50am". InciWeb. July 29, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  7. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-29-23 @4:26pm". InciWeb. July 29, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  8. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-29-23 @9:45pm". InciWeb. July 29, 2023. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  9. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-30-23 @3:30PM". InciWeb. July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "York Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  11. ^ O'Neil, Ty; Dazio, Stefanie; Yamat, Rio (August 1, 2023). "Preserving world famous Joshua Trees complicates fight to contain 80,000-acre York Fire". KTNV. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "Update: Wildfire Burning in Clark County, Road Closures Issued". clarkcountynv.gov. July 30, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Staff (July 30, 2023). "California wildfire expands 70K acres, crosses over into Nevada". KSNV. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  14. ^ "York Fire Update - 7-29-23 @9:45pm". InciWeb. July 29, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
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