Several wildfires surrounding Sequoia National Park in California are threatening groves of giant sequoias as firefighters race to contain the encroaching blazes.
Incident commanders said the Windy Fire, which has already charred 25,191 acres and is only 4% contained, burned into Long Meadow Grove along the Trail of 100 Giants.
The area is home to 1,500-year-old sequoias and flames have already begun searing the trunks of the ancient trees, officials said.
Thanh Nguyen, a spokesman for the fire command, told the Los Angeles Times that a portion of one giant sequoia along the trail was confirmed to have burned Sunday.
Incident commanders said the Windy Fire, which has already charred 25,191 acres and is only 4% contained, burned into Long Meadow Grove along the Trail of 100 Giants Sunday night
Several wildfires surrounding Sequoia National Park are threatening groves of giant sequoias, as firefighters scurry to contain the encroaching blazes
Wildfires that spread to the tops of trees – especially very tall trees – can move quickly through the forest, as the tops of the trees explode, showering embers over a large area below them.
‘It was running toward multiple trees and firefighters were able to get it out, but it did get into the crown of one of the sequoias,’ Windy fire incident spokeswoman Amanda Munsey told the Los Angeles Times.
Images captured on Tuesday showcased the glowing blaze at it engulfed Long Meadow Grove, continuing to swirl around tree trunks and branches.
The Windy Fire blazes through the Long Meadow Grove of giant sequoia trees near The Trail of 100 Giants overnight in Sequoia National Park on September 21, 2021
As climate change and years of drought push wildfires to become bigger and hotter, many of the worlds biggest and oldest trees, the ancient sequoias, have been killed
The giant trees are among the worlds biggest and live to more than 3,000 years, surviving hundreds of wildfires throughout their lifespans
Flames engulfed the Long Meadow Grove of giant sequoia trees near The Trail of 100 Giants overnight
While Sequoias have adapted to wildfires, the colossal trees are struggling to withstand the intensity of recent fires
Further north, the KNP Complex fire continued to threaten the renowned Giant Forest, home to General Sherman standing at 275 feet.
General Sherman, which is estimated by the National Parks Service to be 2,200 years old, was wrapped in fireproof foil blankets last week.
Although the tree is located 36 miles from the Windy fire, it sits 7.9 miles from the Paradise fire and 9.5 miles from the Colony fire.
Incident commanders said they believed they could protect the tree from the 24,000-acre blaze, which was sparked by lightning just over a week ago.
The blaze also engulfed more remote areas, such as Peyrone and Red Hill groves.
General Sherman, which is estimated by the National Parks Service to be 2,200 years old, was wrapped in fireproof foil blankets last week
Firefighters posing next to The General Sherman Tree after wrapping it in fire-resistant structural wrap amid the KNP Complex Fire within the Sequoia National Forest near Three Rivers, California on September 17, 2021
As climate change and years of drought push wildfires to become bigger and hotter, many of the worlds biggest and oldest trees, the ancient sequoias, have been killed
Wildfires that spread to the tops of trees — especially very tall trees — can move quickly through the forest
While sequoias have adapted to wildfires, the colossal trees are struggling to withstand the intensity of recent fires.
Heat from normal wildfires in the past was considered beneficial for sequoia reproduction, but increasing fire intensity now can very likely kill them.
In 2020, the Castle fire destroyed as much as 14 percent of all the worlds giant sequoias.
Images captured on Tuesday showcased the glowing blaze at it engulfed around long Meadow Grove, continuing to swirl around tree trunks and branches
The Windy Fire blazes through the Long Meadow Grove of giant sequoia trees near The Trail of 100 Giants overnight in Sequoia National Park on September 21, 2021
The giant trees are among the worlds biggest and live to more than 3,000 years, surviving hundreds of wildfires throughout their lifespans
The heat of normal wildfire of the past helped the trees reproduce but increasing fire intensity can now kill them
The Windy Fire engulfed the Long Meadow Grove along the Trail of 100 Giants Sunday night