Heritage Fire burned 300 trees, 34 acres in Mojave River conservation area, nonprofit says
A fast-moving fire in Oro Grande earlier this year burned more than 30 acres in a conservation area along the Mojave River where endangered and threatened species are known to live, according to a nonprofit.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust reported more than 300 trees were also lost in the “protected wildlife haven” known as Palisades Ranch after a blaze in March.
The Heritage Fire burned roughly 500 acres in total before firefighters extinguished it.
An initial report from the Land Trust — which owns the 1,647-acre property — found 14 acres of Fremont’s cottonwood trees had burned, some which were 40 years old and up to 60 feet tall.
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Fewer trees is alarming to the nonprofit because spring is nesting season for birds and rare ones have been detected on the ranch, including the least Bell’s vireo and the federally threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo.
Estimates suggest fewer than 2,000 breeding pairs of the cuckoo left; the species has lost 90% of its habitat due to removal of riparian forests.
“We are heartbroken to see the loss of such rare riparian habitat for the Mojave Desert’s bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species,” said the Land Trust’s Joint Executive Directors Cody Hanford and Kelly Herbinson in a statement. “We are continuing to assess the damage and impact to flora and fauna.”
Palisades Ranch sits along a stretch of the Mojave River known as the transition zone where the water flows above ground — unlike a majority of the river, which flows underground.
Once slated for 1,300 homes and a golf course, the nonprofit bought the property in October 2018. The unique habitat attracts around 40 special-status species and is being restored by the land trust with the help of an environmental services firm.
Fire damage may have delayed progress as the nonprofit’s report estimates that up to 10% of the conservation area was affected.
Aerial photos taken by the Land Trust showed white ash around trees meaning temperatures reached over 300 Celsius, or 572 degrees Fahrenheit, as the blaze tore through the ranch. Invasive plant species, like perennial pepperweed, “helped fuel the fire’s spread and increased temperature intensity,” the nonprofit said.
Beavers which build dams that help raise the water level and create more habitat for animals were also likely impacted.
“This fire created an even greater urgency for the on-going restoration work and invasive species management,” said Hanford and Herbinson. “We are grateful to San Bernardino County Fire Department, CalFire, and Victorville Fire Department for their rapid response and efforts to contain the burn, as well as other agencies that assisted.”
Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or MEstacio@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fire burned 300 trees, 34 acres in Mojave River conservation area
