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Mojave National Preserve has issued an official closure order for the York Fire area to protect visitors and other members of the public. The justification includes:

• Falling limbs and snags (dead standing trees) and fire-damaged trees
• Impacted road structures and sinkholes due to burned-out bridges and other infrastructure
• Potentially hazardous conditions from weakened structures and potentially impacted barricades around inactive mining structures and diggings
• Unstable burned structures that may contain hazardous materials
• Hot ash and unseen hazards in the few remaining hot spots on the perimeter and interior of the burn area
• Washed out roads from heavy rainfall that occurred in early August 2023
• Potential for flash floods and debris flows during summer monsoon rains

In the next few weeks as remaining fire crews mop up any remaining hot spots in the fire, the preserve will have outside help from other agencies and personnel to assess the region in a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER).

For your safety, we ask the following:

• Watch out for fire crews, equipment, and helicopter operations in the area
• Watch for washed-out roads or missing culverts
• Stay clear of standing burned vegetation that may fall at any time
• Do not travel into upper Caruthers Canyon
• Drive at slow speeds (25 MPH Max) for avoiding any unexpected hazards in the roadway
• Private land in-holders, please follow the guidelines provided via email to access your property
• Report any unsafe road or other conditions to us at 760-252-6100 or moja_superintendent@nps.gov - if possible, include photos and GPS coordinates