York Fire in Mojave National Preserve explodes to 77,000 acres, crosses into Nevada

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
Updated ·2 min read

The York Fire exploded to 77,000 acres by Monday morning after first being reported on Friday in the Mojave National Preserve, southeast of Interstate 15 Mountain Pass.

The vegetation fire began east of Cima Road on Maruba and New York Mountain roads in the national preserve, San Bernardino County Fire Department officials said.

On Sunday afternoon, 192 firefighters battled the fire, which continued to spread in a northeast direction and at a moderate rate of speed, crossing over from California into Nevada.

San Bernardino County fire crews are joined by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and Clark County firefighters.

The fire was at 70,000 acres, with 0% containment through Monday night. The fire gained an additional 7,000 acres by Monday morning.

Clark County officials reported no plans to issue evacuation orders for residential areas, including Nipton and Searchlight as the fire remains quite a distance from those areas.

On Monday, firefighters were protecting structures near Nipton Road just outside of Searchlight.

The York Fire exploded to 70,000 acres on Sunday after it was first reported on Friday in the Mojave National Preserve, southeast of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass.
The York Fire exploded to 70,000 acres on Sunday after it was first reported on Friday in the Mojave National Preserve, southeast of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass.

Fire’s ‘extreme behavior’

The fire’s expansion and “extreme behavior” continue to be fueled by windy conditions and dry fuel, which include desert scrub, juniper and Joshua tree woodland, InciWeb stated.

In some areas, fire crews observed 20-foot high flames, which indicated the intensity and severity of the fire, which had created dangerous conditions, InciWeb reported.

The York Fire exploded to 70,000 acres on Sunday after it was first reported on Friday in the Mojave National Preserve, southeast of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass.
The York Fire exploded to 70,000 acres on Sunday after it was first reported on Friday in the Mojave National Preserve, southeast of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass.

Firefighters on Sunday continued to construct fire lines and extinguish flames, while air resources dropped water or fire retardant to create fire breaks and reduce the fire’s intensity and spread.

Roads closed

State Route 164 and Highway 95 in Searchlight, Nevada were closed on Sunday. In the Mojave preserve, Ivanpah Road, Hart Mine Road and Walking Box Ranch roads were closed along with the Castle Mountain National Monument, according to the park service.

Night photo of the "York Fire." Firefighters on Friday began battling the vegetation fire south of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass, in the Mojave National Preserve.
Night photo of the "York Fire." Firefighters on Friday began battling the vegetation fire south of Interstate 15 and near Mountain Pass, in the Mojave National Preserve.

Clark County Fire has set up a mobile command near Searchlight and Nipton.

Smoke from the fire has drifted into Southern Nevada, with air quality in some areas of Clark County being listed as “unhealthy.” On Monday, smoke began impacting air quality in Las Vegas.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: York Fire in Mojave National Preserve explodes to 77,000 acres