News Release

Joshua Tree National Park Implements Fire Restrictions Beginning June 15

Photo taken in June 2025 of the Eureka Fire burn scar in the Covington Flats area of the park.

NPS / Paul Martinez

News Release Date: June 15, 2026 JOSHUA TREE, Calif. - Joshua Tree National Park has implemented fire restrictions beginning June 15, due to hot, dry weather conditions and increasing fire danger.
 
The restrictions will remain in effect through October 1, 2026, unless park leadership determines otherwise. The restrictions apply throughout the park, including all campgrounds, backcountry sites, and picnic areas.
 
The following activities are prohibited under fire restrictions:

• Wood-burning and charcoal fires, including campfires, warming fires, wood-burning camp stoves, and charcoal grills.
• Smoking within 10 feet of vegetation.
• Fireworks, explosives, and any other incendiary devices. These items are always prohibited on public lands. 

The use of liquid gas devices such as stoves, lanterns, and heating devices is permitted in areas free of flammable materials within three feet of the device. Generators may be used only if equipped with approved spark arrestors and operated at least three feet from flammable materials, including dry grass and vegetation.
 
Historically, fires in this area of the Mojave Desert were limited in extent because shrubs and trees are widely spaced and grasses are not abundant. However, human activities and the spread of non-native invasive grasses have contributed to an increase in the frequency and size of wildfires.
 
Desert plants do not depend on fire to reproduce, and many species are highly susceptible to fire damage. While some vegetation can recover after a fire, the process is often slow. Joshua trees are particularly vulnerable. Young Joshua trees frequently die after a fire, and surviving trees may experience additional stress from drought and bark-feeding rodents.
 
Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead before traveling to the park:

• Download the NPS App for trip planning.
• Check the park website for current conditions, restrictions, closures, and alerts.
• Learn about fire restrictions and fire readiness on public lands throughout California through CAL FIRE.
• To learn more about fire in the Mojave Desert, watch Fire in the Mojave Desert: A Landscape in Transition on the park website.

nps.gov

 
About the National Park Service. Established in 1916, the National Park Service preserves America's most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of current and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.