Grove of giant sequoia trees burns in California’s Sierra National Forest

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A lightning-sparked wildfire in California’s Sierra National Forest burned Tuesday through a grove of giant sequoias and set some of the ancient towering trees on fire.

Wildland firefighters with tree-climbing experience were being sent in to put out the fire burning in the canopies of the beloved trees, said Jay Tracy, a spokesperson for the Garnet Fire ablaze in Fresno County.

To protect the majestic trees, some estimated to be 3,000 years old, fire crews laid sprinkler lines to increase ground moisture, wrapped the trunks with fire-resistant foil blankets, raked flammable material away from trees and patrolled the area looking for hotspots, he said.

Sequoias grow naturally only in a 260-mile (420 kilometers) belt of forest on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. They have massive trunks and can grow over 300 feet (90 meters) tall.

The sequoia is the world’s largest tree by volume and closely related to the redwood, the world’s tallest.

“These trees are near and dear to the forest and to our community and we want to do our best to protect them,” Tracy said.

The Garnet Fire, which started on Aug. 24, reached the southeast side of the 100-acre (40-hectare) McKinley Grove sometime Sunday night or Monday morning, he said.

The giant trees rely on low-intensity fire to help open their cones to disperse seeds, and flames clear undergrowth so seedlings can take root and get sunlight. The Garnet Fire, however, is more intense, Tracy said.

The blaze has scorched 85 square miles (220 square km) of grass, chaparral and timber in a remote area known for camping and hiking about 60 miles (97 km) east of Fresno. It was about 14% contained as of Tuesday.