Two national parks warned that hazard trees could fall on people and vehicles, and could also create barriers to emergency and fire response.
California wildfires have left over 10,000 trees damaged by drought, fire, disease, or age. This will prevent visitors from using a nearby highway to reach the two largest sequoia trees in the world.
According to the Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon, the hazard trees could fall on people and vehicles along the section of State Route 180 called Generals Highway.
Due to the KNP Complex fire, the highway was closed. The fire had burned 138 miles (357 kilometers) of forest. The area is expected to see rain from Sunday onwards as cooler weather has helped slow down the flames.
Giant Forest is home to the General Sherman Tree which is the largest tree in the world, while Grant Grove is home to Grant Grove, which houses the General Grant Tree, second-largest tree worldwide. Kimberly Caschalk, a fire spokesperson, stated that the highway’s trees include conifer, pine, and sequoia trees.
Since Sept. 9, when lightning set off two fires that later merged, the KNP Complex has been burning.
Officials from the Forest Service stated earlier this month that the fires could have caused the death of hundreds of giant sequoias. However, the extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
The fire had mixed effects on the giant sequoia groves. The fire caused a mix of low- and medium-intensity fire behavior, which the sequoias evolved to adapt to. However, the trees that survived were the most prominent.
Firefighters used extraordinary methods to protect the giant sequoias. They wrapped fire-resistant material around their bases, raked and cleared vegetation, installed sprinklers, and diduse them with water or fire retardant gel.
After the danger of fire had passed, forest staff removed the wrapper from the General Sherman tree’s base on Friday.
Caschalk stated, “We are confident that the tree is relatively secure.”
Climate change is making it harder for wildfires to be fought in West due to drought. Scientists believe that climate change has made West more warm and dryer over the past 30 year. This means that rain and snow will evaporate more quickly or be absorbed into the soil. This will make wildfires more destructive and more extreme.
Recent storms helped to contain some of the country’s most destructive wildfires, including one that threatened Lake Tahoe this summer. It is now 100% contained. After snow covered the western side of this blaze and rain fell on the eastern side, the fire has been completely contained. However, this week’s storms will not end the drought in California and the western United States.
