Crime & Safety
Joshua Tree Fire Fully Contained, Affected Area Closed to Visitors through September
The area affected by the fire will be closed until Sept. 30, Zarki said, for visitors' safety and to allow the area to recover.
A fire that broke out in Joshua Tree National Park last weekend blackened 273 acres of brush before being fully contained, a park spokesman said today.
Lightning from a summer thunderstorm sparked the blaze, dubbed the Quail Fire, on Sunday afternoon about 3 1/2 miles northwest of the Keys View scenic overlook, according to park spokesman Joe Zarki.
The blaze, which wasn't 100 percent contained until Thursday afternoon, burned hillsides covered with pinyon pine, juniper and Joshua trees, but no structures were damaged, Zarki said.
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The area affected by the fire will be closed until Sept. 30, Zarki said, for visitors' safety and to allow the area to recover.
Except for the area around the fire, all park roads and visitor facilities were open today, Zarki said.
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More information is on the park's website, www.nps.gov/jotr and the park's Twitter and Facebook pages.