'Fire whirls' threaten Joshua tree desert in scorching US

Los Angeles (AFP) July 31, 2023

A huge wildfire was raging out of control through the environmentally sensitive Mojave Desert on Monday, with "fire whirls" threatening the Joshua trees that are found almost entirely in the southwestern United States. Around 77,000 acres (31,000 hectares) have been scorched since the York Fire erupted on Friday, fuelled over the weekend by high winds and soaring temperatures. More than