Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias

2 hours ago

 

 

 

 

A firefighter protects a sequoia tree as the Washburn Fire burns in Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Friday, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town.

Campers and residents near the blaze were evacuated but the rest of the sprawling park in California remained open, though heavy smoke obscured scenic vistas and created unhealthy air quality.

“Today it’s actually the smokiest that we’ve seen,” Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson, said Sunday.

https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-fires-california-trees-climate-and-environment-afac50730ba08092631991a7a43d9b6d

Apparently, they didn't get around to raking the forest.   

This is my wife next to a Sequoia near the Mariposa Village in Yosemite.....

 

I hope they can save those magnificent trees....

An ancient part of the Earth's legacy.....