Major Air Support Rushes to Battle Growing Wildfire in Joshua Tree
A dangerous wildfire is burning through Joshua Tree National Park, forcing firefighters to call for urgent help from the sky. The fire has already grown to 175 acres but crews are making progress.
The Eureka Fire started as a small 20-acre brush fire Friday morning at 11:57 a.m. in the Lower Covington Flats area. By early afternoon, it had spread to 164 acres. Park officials later reported the fire had reached 175 acres by Friday evening.
The good news is that firefighters have managed to contain 40% of the blaze, writes local news. Teams from the park are working alongside crews from BLM and San Bernardino County to control the fire.
The situation became serious enough that firefighters requested major air support, including a very large air tanker, a large air tanker and a type three air tanker. Helicopters and smaller air tankers were already helping fight the flames by mid-afternoon.
People miles away could see the thick gray smoke rising from the park. Cameras on Onyx Peak captured the huge smoke cloud spreading across the sky.
Weather conditions are making the fight harder. While temperatures stayed cool at around 84 degrees, south winds were blowing at 10 mph with gusts reaching 20 mph. These winds can quickly spread fire through the dry brush.
The fire is burning in the scrubby brush between Nolina Cove Road in Joshua Tree town and areas near Yucca Valley. Officials are still investigating what caused the fire to start.
