The burning garnet fire in the Sierra National Forest of Fresno County reached three miles within the stately woods of the giant Sequoia estate.
McKinley Grove has about 200 behemoths, “a major problem for us,” said Adrienne Freeman, a spokesman for the United States Forest Service.
A plane lowered the barriers on a garnet fire burning in the Sierra National Forest. Lightning sparked a fire on August 24.
(Ethan Swope/AP)
About 1,800 firefighters have been fighting the fire, and some have laid sprinkler lines that have shot water towards trees that can grow over 300 feet.
Safety measures are an effort, “to keep fire at low intensity when passing through these woods.”
The flames have reached the southernmost end of the good McKinley Grove Road, which is used as a “primary containment feature.” The crew carried out strategic combustion near the road to reduce fuel.
But temperatures have dropped, relative humidity has climbed, instilling hope for trees and turning around the fire.
“It’s more favorable for us to be able to work on the fire and reduce the chances of volatile shooting activities,” said Sam Wu, a spokesman for the Garnet Fire. But conditions may change.
The sprinkler system is installed in the McKinley woods of giant sequoia. If a garnet fire reaches the woods, it is a precaution to protect the trees.
(Katie DeRosier / Pacific Southwest Forest Service)
The garnet fire was triggered by lighting on August 24.
Estimated 20% of the world’s mature giant sequoia Death in the past decade According to the nonprofit rescue of the Redwood Alliance severe wildfires. McKinley is listed as the most vulnerable to fire in the Mequoia Groves of California’s about 80 giants.
It is a unique wood, said Blom, director of management and restoration. First, it is isolated from the heart of the giant sequoia territory located in the southern Sierra Nevada. It is accessible, allowing many visitors to pass through.
“A lot of people have experience in this woods,” he said. “It’s really a spectacular place.”
However, this is one of the few woods that have not burned over the past decade. Some work has been done to reduce fuel in about 100 acres of forest, but not all areas have been processed. This makes it more prone to getting angry. Some parts of the woods are steep and difficult to access, making them difficult to heal.
He said: “These trees have lived for 2,000 years, so every wood and every monarch [mature tree] In these woods, it is crucial to rescue and protection. ”
