WASHINGTON POST • August 6, 2023
For the Joshua tree – a wild and whimsical internationally recognized symbol of California – fire has become an existential threat. Because its delicate desert habitat did not evolve with major wildfires, the Joshua tree is especially vulnerable to flames. When they burn, they burn fast. And they rarely survive. That’s of particular concern at this Southern California preserve, where fires were once uncommon but are now increasing in frequency and ferocity. Officials at the 1.5 million-acre park are still assessing the latest damage, but it appears to be catastrophic. Rising temperatures and the changing climate have altered the region’s so-called “fire regime,” the pattern of wildfire occurrence. It is now considered a “climate change hot spot.”