LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Red flag warnings mean no outdoor burning is recommended. In these dry and windy conditions, fires can spread very quickly and get out of control.
Just beyond the dry rocky desert landscape east of the Las Vegas Valley lies a watery paradise. The Clark County Wetlands Park is the largest park in the county and it attracts many visitors with its nature preserve, trails, trees, wildlife and more.
But there is a threat to this desert oasis: fire.
Environmental specialist at Clark County Wetlands Park Ben Jurand said, "This area that we are standing in front of here was burned in a fire this past December. It actually burned up close to our building. This burned about nine acres or so. It was likely caused by some sort of a campfire."
MORE: Fire burns about 9 acres near visitor center at Clark County Wetlands Park
Clark County Wetlands park saw over 60 acres burned last year from about nine individual fires. The main culprit: human caused fires.
So far, there have been three small fires this year. They say they find a lot of encampments, many being people experiencing homelessness.
Add on favorable fire weather conditions like high winds, dry air and warm temperatures and you get yourself a recipe for a flammable disasters. Some species sprout back up in weeks. Others have a much harder time, and may not come back at all.
"The thing we don’t want is to mix nature and fire out here. This is not a very adaptive ecosystem. A lot of the times, what we find is when we get a lot of the fires they burn hot and fast. Sometimes it’s too fast for the animals to escape," Jurand said.
As temperatures continue to get hotter, Clark County Parks and Recreation urge people to not bring flammable items in the area.
