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A wildfire, fueled by timber and brush, and exacerbated by the effects of climate change, is threatening centuries-old giant sequoia trees in Yosemite National Park. Fire crews have set up sprinkler systems around the "Grizzly Giant" to increase the humidity around one of the most iconic trees in the Mariposa Grove.
Giant sequoias are adapted to survive less intense fires, with thick bark that protects against flames. But as climate change has increased the severity and frequency of wildfires, the trees, which can grow for more than 3,000 years, are increasingly at risk.
According to the National Park Service, more than 85 percent of the acreage of giant sequoia groves in the Sierra Nevada burned between 2015 and 2021. In the previous century, just 25 percent of that acreage was affected by wildfire.
Over the last two years, fires in Sequoia National Forest and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have wiped out an estimated 13-15 percent of the world's sequoia population.
As of Monday, the Washburn Fire in Yosemite had burned more than 2,700 acres and was zero percent contained.
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It’s critical that people remember our national parks are not zoos or amusement parks. They are real, wild ecosystems with animals that may look docile but can be extremely dangerous.”
