"Wildfire Chaos: Fire Tornadoes Threaten Iconic Joshua Tree in California's Largest Blaze"

The York fire, currently burning in California's Mojave National Preserve, is scorching a Joshua tree forest and could potentially threaten Nevada's largest Joshua tree as it moves into the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The fire, which is 77,000 acres in size, has produced "fire whirls" or "fire tornadoes" due to intense heat and turbulent winds. Joshua trees have already been heavily impacted by climate change, with a previous fire destroying a significant portion of the world's largest Joshua tree forest. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that Joshua trees could lose 90% of their range by the end of the century.