A massive wildfire in California is threatening ancient giant sequoias after flames reached the McKinley Grove, a stand of about 165 of the towering trees located in Sierra National Forest.
Forestry officials said the Garnet Fire, which began on 24 August following a lightning strike, spread into the grove on Monday despite extensive protection measures, including sprinklers, removal of dry undergrowth and fire-resistant wrapping on trunks. Sparks ignited several tree crowns, prompting the dispatch of specialist firefighters trained to scale the giants.
The grove lies around 300 kilometres south-east of San Francisco. Giant sequoias, found only in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, are among the oldest living organisms on Earth, with some exceeding 3,000 years in age. While they rely on periodic fires to release seeds from their cones, more intense blazes in recent years have devastated populations. Conservationists say around one-fifth of mature sequoias have been lost since 2015.
The Garnet Fire has so far consumed more than 185 square kilometres, one of many wildfires currently burning across California.
