Wildfire grows near famed Yosemite grove of sequoia trees

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was closed Friday as a wildfire burning through dense forest became the latest in recent years to threaten the world’s largest trees.

A team was being sent to the Mariposa Grove to wrap some of the massive trunks in fire-resistant foil to protect them as the blaze burned out of control, said Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson.

More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, such as the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant.

The cause of the fire was under investigation and the rest of the park remained open as nearly 300 firefighters tried to control the flames with the help of two water-dropping helicopters and an air tanker dumping flame retardant, Phillipe said.

The giant sequoias, native only to the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range, were once considered impervious to flames but have become increasingly vulnerable as wildfires fueled by a buildup of undergrowth from a century of fire suppression and drought exacerbated by climate change have become more intense and destructive.

Lightning-sparked wildfires over the past two years have killed up to a fifth of all sequoias, which are the largest trees by volume.

There was no obvious natural spark for the fire that broke out Thursday next to the park’s Washburn Trail, Phillipe said. Smoke was reported by visitors walking in the grove that reopened in 2018 after a $40 million renovation that took three years.

The grove, which is inside the park’s southern entrance, was evacuated and no one was injured.

The fire more than tripled overnight in size to 166 acres (67 hectares) by Friday, Phillipe said. Fire officials had previously estimated that 250 acres (101 hectares) burned but it was revised after a closer assessment.

The nearby village of Wawona, where about 600 to 700 people were staying in a campground, cabins and an historic hotel, was under an evacuation advisory. A community meeting was planned and visitors and residents were encouraged to be ready to leave.

“Our priorities are certainly the giant sequoias and the community of Wawona,” Phillipe said.

A fierce windstorm ripped through the grove a year and a half ago and toppled 15 giant sequoias, along with countless other trees.

The downed trees, along with massive numbers of pines killed by bark beetles, provided ample fuel for the flames, but winds Friday were calm and the fire was not spreading rapidly.

The park has used prescribed burns to clear brush around the sequoias, which helps protect them if flames spread farther into the grove.

“When the unwanted fires hit those areas, it tends to slow the rate of spread and helps us gain some control,” Phillipe said.