US firefighters race to protect giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park

Hundreds of firefighters scrambled yesterday to prevent a wildfire engulfing an area of rare giant sequoia trees in California’s Yosemite National Park.The Washburn fire, in the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, was first reported on July 7 and doubled in size over the weekend to 2,340 acres (946 hectares), according to a park report.Yosemite’s fire management service said that 545 firefighters were battling the blaze, including “proactively protecting” the grove – the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite, with over 500 mature trees.Further reinforcements were due to be deployed as the blaze remained out of control with increasingly hot and dry weather forecast, Nancy Phillipe, spokeswoman for Yosemite Fire Information, told AFP.“It’s still showing zero per cent containment,” Phillipe said.“We are doing everything we can to put this fire out”, including deploying air tankers and helicopters along with ground crews, she added.At the sequoia grove, crews worked to remove quick-burning leaves, sticks and branches as well as drenching the ground and trees.The Yosemite fire service tweeted footage of emergency sprinklers set up specifically to douse the grove’s “Grizzly Giant” – the most renowned sequoia in the park, which is the second largest tree in Yosemite at 209’ (63m), and one of the oldest.Phillipe said that the response team was “feeling confident that we’ve set up the trees for as much protection as we can” with the recent efforts, aided by previous prescribed burns.Giant sequoias are the world’s largest trees by volume.Their relatives, the California redwoods, can grow taller – well over 100m – but are not as wide.Both kinds of tree are adapted to fires, with thick bark that protects them from heat.In their lifetimes, which are measured in thousands of years, they typically endure many fires.Fire is actually vital to reproduction of the trees, whose cones require high heat to crack open and release seeds.However, experts say drought-stressed sequoias today have grown increasingly vulnerable to more frequent bouts of extreme wildfire activity symptomatic of human-caused climate change.California has recently seen multiple severe fire seasons in a row.Scientists say global warming, which is being driven chiefly by humanity’s unchecked burning of fossil fuels, is making extreme weather events more likely.Last year, California and other parts of the western United States were ravaged by huge, hot and fast-moving wildfires, driven by years of drought and a warming climate.Two of those fires in California burned 3,600 giant sequoias, each more than 4’ (120cm) in diameter.The year before, 10,000 of the giants – up to 14% of the world’s total – perished in another fire.With drought and scorching temperatures, fire chiefs have warned of longer and longer fire seasons.More than 3,500 fires have been reported already by California state firefighters CalFire in 2022, burning an estimated 22,900 acres.“It is only just the beginning of July,” said Phillipe, echoing concern at the lengthening seasons. “Every year we say ‘wow this is going to be a long season’ and the seasons are lasting longer and longer.”Smoke from the wildfire has prompted air quality alerts throughout the park and obscured views of its famed scenery.On Friday National Park Service personnel evacuated the adjacent community of Wawona and the Wawona Hotel and campground.Coming at the height of the summer tourist season, the evacuations displaced an estimated 1,600 people in all, according to Park Service spokesperson Phillipe.The Park Service also has shut down the southern entrance to the park, which Phillipe said draws about 4mn visitors a year.The park’s best-known attractions, including Yosemite Valley, remain accessible to visitors from its western entrance.However, smoke and soot have dimmed views of landmarks such as the towering granite formations of El Capitan and Half Dome, as well as Bridalveil Fall and surrounding cliffs.Federal wildfire officials on Sunday warned that air quality for particulate matter had reached unhealthy levels across much of the park.