Firefighters in California’s Mojave National Preserve battled ‘fire whirls’ this weekend as the enormous York Fire crossed into Nevada, fuelled by high temperatures and strong winds. As of Monday, the fire had spread across approximately 120 square miles with no containment.
The York Fire, which started on Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the preserve, crossed into Nevada on Sunday and pushed smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley. The blaze has caused significant disruption, including departure delays at the Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas due to low visibility from the smoky haze.
Fire whirls, sometimes referred to as fire tornadoes, are spinning columns of fire that form when intense heat and turbulent winds combine. These dangerous phenomena were spotted on the north end of the York Fire on Sunday. They require high temperatures to form, making the current heatwave conditions ideal for their occurrence.
The wildfire, with flames reaching up to 20 feet high in some places, has charred vast areas of blackbrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and the iconic Joshua trees in the New York Mountains in San Bernardino County. The impact on the habitat is expected to be long-lasting, potentially permanent, changing the landscape and affecting local wildlife.
The cause of the York Fire remains under investigation, although authorities have stated it originated on private land within the preserve. Meanwhile, to the southwest, the smaller Bonny Fire is being fought in the rugged hills of Riverside County.
These incidents offer a stark reminder of the devastating impact wildfires can have on natural habitats and wildlife, and the ongoing challenges faced by firefighters and conservationists in managing and mitigating such disasters.