This was "a nightmare scenario," said a firefighter with the park, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. During the last government shutdown six years ago, the revelation that vandals appeared to have chopped down a few of the Dr. Seuss-esque trees grabbed national headlines. In this instance, the firefighter estimates more than a thousand trees were torched.
Officials at Joshua Tree National Park are warning visitors of road damage and flash flooding caused by heavy thunderstorms, impacting park operations ahead of Labor Day weekend. Heavy rain is causing flooding within the park, the National Park Service wrote in an alert on Tuesday. On its Instagram, the park posted stories showing high winds and storms, along with flooded, debris-strewn roadways.