Grove of giant sequoia trees burns in California’s Sierra National Forest
Fresno, California – A forest fire struck by lightning in the National Forest of Sierra in California burned Tuesday through a grove of giant redwoods and set fire to some of the ancient imposing trees.
Forest firefighters with trees climbing trees were sent to turn the fire into the awnings of beloved trees, said Jay Tracy, spokesperson for the Garnet shooting fire in Fresno County.
To protect majestic trees, some estimated at 3,000 years old, firefighters posed lines to water to increase the moisture of the soil, wrapped the trunks of fire-resistant aluminum paper blankets, a inflammable material raked from the trees and patrolled the area in search of hot spots, he said.
The sequences naturally grow only in a 260 -mile forest belt (420 kilometers) on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. They have massive trunks and can push more than 300 feet (90 meters) in height.
The Sequoia is the largest tree in the world in volume and closely linked to redwood, the largest in the world.
“These trees are close and dear in the forest and our community and we want to do our best to protect them,” said Tracy.
The garnet fire, which started on August 24, reached the southeast side of the 100 acre (40 hectares) McKinley Grove on Sunday evening or on Monday morning, he said.
The giant trees rely on shots of low intensity to help open their cones to disperse the seeds, and the flames erase the undergrowth so that sowing can take root and take the sunlight. The fire garnet, however, is more intense, said Tracy.
The fire burned 85 square miles (220 square km) of grass, chaparral and wood in a distant area known for camping and hiking at around 60 miles (97 km) east of Fresno. It was around 14% content on Tuesday.
