Part of Joshua Tree National Park to close due to extreme fire risk
Public access to the biologically rich Covington Flats area of Joshua Tree National Park will be closed during the busy holiday stretch next week, as park officials strive to prevent potentially destructive wildfires.
The Covington Flats area contains most of the important Joshua tree populations within the park, and experts say fire risks are extreme.
When will Covington Flats in Joshua Tree reopen?
The area will be closed from Wednesday, July 3, 2024, through Sunday, July 7, 2024, and will reopen the morning of July 8, 2024.
Heavy spring rains cause an abundance of grass to grow in the area, which has now dried, leaving a blanket of flammable fuels, park spokeswoman Meg Rockwell said in a news release. In response, the National Interagency Coordination Center has issued a fuels and fire behavior advisory for the area.
The National Weather Service has also issued high heat warnings for the area and fire meteorologists at Southern California Geographic Coordination Center have said expected fire indicators will be high this season.
The expected conditions all add up to an extreme fire danger in a park that has already suffered wildfire losses.
The Geology Fire burned 1,033 acres in Joshua Tree National Park in June 2023, impacting Joshua trees and desert tortoise habitat.
Joshua Tree National Park fire restrictions
The whole park is under fire restrictions until Oct. 1, 2024.
As the 4th of July holiday weekend approaches, human activity may increase fire risk. All area visitors should practice fire safety, including keeping campfires outside the park small and only within a metal fire ring; not smoking within 10 feet of vegetation and disposing of cigarette butts properly.
Fireworks are also not allowed in the park.
Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for The Desert Sun and co-authors USA Today Climate Point. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Joshua Tree National Park's Covington Flats area to close due to extreme fire risk
