Sequoia trees,
Sequoiadendron giganteum, are among the largest organisms on Earth, but only native to about seventy groves scattered along the western flank of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They are known for their fire resistance; the trees need low intensity fires to clear away vegetation and heat their cones to release seeds. The last two years of wildfires, unprecedented in their intensity, killed 7,500 to 10,400 of the giants. These trees are irreplaceable in many lifetimes. Some, like the General Sherman tree are thousands of years old. Last year's Castle and SQF Complex fires took firefighters by surprise, and burned from August into January. This year officials took extra precautions to protect giants like General Sherman. They wrapped trunks in foil blankets. A fire retardant gel was sprayed on canopies. Water sprinklers moistened trunks and ground, and flammable matter raked away from the trees. [photo credit: AP]
Only the most famous and iconic trees received special treatment; more isolated groves were not so lucky. The greatest damage was done in Redwood Mountain Grove in Kings Canyon National Park were winds whipped the blaze into a towering inferno. So fierce was the burning, firefighters could do nothing to save the second largest grove of sequoias. The Red Hill grove was also hit hard. The Starvation Complex of groves in Sequoia National Park was largely destroyed. sLast year the Waterfall Tree, one of the world's largest tree was lost to fire. Flames burned in 27 groves, encouraged by severe drought conditions and a build up of flamable debris on the forest floor. For the first time park officials are considering planting seedlings to preserve the species. Hundred of years will past before planted seedlings become giant trees.
