I wrote about hiking out to the burned palm oasis along Thousand Palms Canyon Road a couple of weekends ago, but I didn't post any photos of the palms until now. My recent bout of bronchitis basically left me totally brainless and disoriented and weak and exhausted! Sorry about that! I didn't realize until this morning that I hadn't posted any photos, so here are a couple of them and I'll post the rest this week. I don't believe it has been announced yet what caused the fire, but HELLO! I mean, these palms were on a protected preserve with no reason for them to suddenly ignite on their own. Period. While they ARE on a hiking trail, I'm sure the fire department is investigating whether or not a thrown-out cigarette caused the fire. They will grow back and many palms up there were not burned at all (fortunately). This grove is right along the San Andreas fault. The reason that they grow in these barren places is that, through the cracks in the earth, the palms' roots can find underground water. There are many of these groves along the fault, in Indio, and at Cottonwood Springs, in Joshua Tree National Park. Still, it is a shame that these burned. I'll update you as soon as I discover what the cause of the fire was. While they aren't exactly scenic, they do have a certain stark beauty about them and this is the first time I've seen a burned-out palm grove. Scenic Sunday and SOOC Sunday for December 19, 2010. To visit Scenic Sunday, please go to: http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/ To visit SOOC, please visit: http://www.murrieta365.com/ Ahhhh.... I found this announcement from the BLM: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2010/november/CDD1115_palmfire.html The cause of the fire is STILL under investigation. So sad. And, here's an article from our local newspaper: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20101130/NEWS0806/11300306/Fire-crews-seek-answers-in-Coachella-Valley-Preserve-fire
5 comments:
What a shame this happened. Bet it was caused by mans carelessness. Glad to hear they will grow back.
It's a shame they burned, but palms are essentially large grass, and I'm sure they'll recover.
SO sad...I am wondering if this is the grove my husband and I hiked in last spring...
It is a shame the palms were burned. People can be careless about where they throw their cigarette butts.
Carolyn, this grove is behind the Coachella Valley Preserve, to the south of the hills there. You can park on Thousand Palms Canyon Road and hike back to it. It is a popular hiking spot and some nearby stables ride their horses back there, too.
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