Yosemite National Park, California – A wildfire threatening the Sequoia bush in Yosemite National Park was burning east of the Sierra National Forest on Wednesday.
The Washington fire is one of dozens of wildfires in the western United States that have been chewing on more than 5.8 square miles, down 22 percent to 17 percent.
“As the fire spread, we lost control,” said firefighter Nancy Philip.
Earlier, firefighting preparations were underway in the National Forest.
Philip: “Assuming this could happen, we brought people from the Sierra National Forest.
Hundreds of visitors have left, but the rest of the park remains open
Container lines in the park, including Grove, have been seized, Firefighting Operations Officer Matt Aher said in a video statement.
The fire The blaze has been raging in the national park since July 7, after visitors to the ancient Sequoia Mariposa Grove reported smoke.
Officials did not say how the fire started or whether there was a crime or a specific accident.
Park Superintendent Sicily Moldon told a community meeting this week that it was considered a “human fire” because there was no lightning.
Philip, a trained park inspector, was on the scene immediately when the fire broke out and law enforcement continued to investigate.
Philip believed he had received the ignition, but declined to comment further, citing an active investigation.
The blaze in the southern part of Yosemite forced hundreds of visitors and residents to leave the community, but the rest of the park remained open to the public.
One firefighter recovered from heat damage, but no structures were damaged.
Although it leaves its mark on some trees, the flames mostly hit Mariposa Grove.
The Galen Clark Tree, named the park’s first guard, and three visitors to the site were partially burned, but none of them were expected to die because their enclosures were not burned, Garrett Dickman said. The ecologist who visited the site.
Dickman helped the bush survive the first wildfires of more than a century, with occasional fires burning under trees.
Small and targeted fires over the past 50 years have mainly stopped Mariposa Grove, allowing firefighters to stand their ground and spray more to protect the world’s tallest trees, Dickman said.
“We have been preparing for the Washington fire for decades,” says Dickman, who works in the park. “Of course he died as soon as he reached the bush.”
The Sequoia are suitable for fire – and rely on it to survive. But more than a hundred fires have engulfed the forests with dense vegetation and fallen wood for a massive fire.
The so-called ordered fires – most recently in the 2018 Grove – imitated low-intensity fires, and Sequoia’s fallen branches, flaming needles, and small trees could compete with them for light and water. The heat from the fire helps to open the cones to spread their seeds.
How do you save giant sequoias?Sprays, trench and sometimes foil blankets
A.D. Since the 1960s, intentional wildfires have been reported in Sekoya, and large trees are being seen as necessary to save them. Up to 20% of what is once considered a firefighter – in the Sierra Nevada region alone – has been killed by wildfires in the past two years.
Firefighting is a dangerous activity in some applications to reduce the risk of damage to property or signs, and is sometimes out of control.
What is Mariposa Grove?
This 24-acre[248 ha]site is home to more than 500 mature Sequoia trees. Some are estimated to be between 3,000 and 3,500 years old. The magnificent Grisley Giant stands 209 feet tall (more than 15 stories) and weighs an estimated 2 million pounds.
A.D. Grove has been protected since President Abraham Lincoln first signed the Public Benefit Act in 1864.
What is threatening?
The Washington Fire It started on July 7 and has since burned 3,221 hectares in Yosemite National Park, which is very close to Grove. There were 649 people battling the blaze, and 22 percent of them were arrested, according to the National Park Service.
The fire was so intense that hundreds of feet of air were swept away by branches and other debris. When they fell, it rained on firefighters and planes.
In an incident on Saturday, a tree branch more than two feet tall was towed several hundred meters into the fire, and two firefighting planes narrowly disappeared.
What is being done to protect the bush?
The National Parks Service has excavated fire lines to protect the giant Sequoia and is using ground-based spraying to increase humidity in the area. Craig Clements, director of the Wild Fire Interdisciplinary Research Center at San Jose State University, says the fire will reduce the intensity of the fire as it requires a lot of energy.
Why is giant Sequoia important?
Giant Sequoia grows only in a small area along the west coast. Heritage dates back to pre-Jurassic times.
“Continents have changed, the climate has changed a lot and these little pockets still survive,” said Will Russell, a forest ecologist at San Jose State University. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change seem to be affecting them in some way.
Giant Sequoia is now in danger, with only 80,000 surviving the last 150 years. Increasing fires threaten the rest.
“In the 2020 and 2021 fires alone, we estimate that in 14 months, we lost 19 percent of the giant Sequoia. This is not sustainable,” said Joanna Nelson, science and conservation director at Save the Redwoods League.
Mariposa Grove is one of the three largest Sequoia groups in Yosemite. Their massive trunks can measure up to 30 feet[30 m]in size. The branches of some giant sequoia are as thick as ordinary trees.
“These trees amaze us. They’ve been here for 3,400 years and give us a sense of perspective. They’re temples of nature.” “There is a spiritual value to these shrubs.”
How did Sekoiah survive?
The giant Sequoia has evolved, enveloped, up to 18 inches thick, and has a cork-like shell to withstand frequent fires. Their roots go deep, protecting them from the heat of wildfires.
A.D. Before the focus on firefighting began in the 1900’s, these forests burned every 10 to 30 years. These small-sized fires cleaned brushes and needles but had relatively low strengths, which allowed Sekoya to remain unharmed.
Now, however, increasing fuel storage allows fires to be warmer and warmer. Climate change has also led to deep drought, drying up the land and making it vulnerable to fire.
“We’ve been in contact with improved species for over a thousand years, and we’re changing the rules of the game in a short period of time and waiting for them to withstand the changes we’ve grown up with,” Smith said. “It’s very unrealistic.”
Are they expected to survive?
He said temperatures are expected to rise in Yosemite in the 90’s, which will increase the activity of the National Parks Service. However, he predicts that the wind will be low.
“This should allow them to have better security soon,” Clement said.
Contributing to the Associated Press and USA Today
