Photo: DAVID SWANSON / AFP / Getty Images
Firefighters in California and Nevada are continuing to battle the massive York fire that started last week. The fire has consumed over 82,000 acres as high temperatures and gusty winds helped it spread across the Mojave Desert.
As of Wednesday (August 2) morning, the fire was just 30% contained and is the largest wildfire in California this year.
As the fire spreads, it is threatening the habits of species of desert tortoises that are considered threatened by the federal government.
"Fire crews carefully balance fire suppression with resource protection. They will be on the lookout for desert tortoises, making sure to avoid burrows and active individuals," the Mojave National Preserve said.
The fire is also encroaching on the groves of the iconic Joshua trees that dot the desert. Experts are worried that the fire could decimate the trees, which can normally survive in the harsh desert conditions for over 150 years.
"It will take a lifetime to get those mature Joshua trees back," Laura Cunningham, the California director of the Western Watersheds Project, told KVVU. "Some are fire resistant, and if the flames are not too hot, they will stump sprout out or reseed."
"This is pretty devastating," she added.
Heavy rains on Tuesday helped firefighters battle the massive blaze as they try to get it under control.
"Firefighters used the cool, wet weather to their advantage and worked hard to build containment lines. They still face challenges due to the rugged and remote terrain in which the fire is burning," the Mojave National Preserve noted on Facebook.