Comment A wildfire burning near Yosemite National Park’s southern Mariposa Grove has become the latest blaze to threaten the world’s largest trees, which have been repeatedly endangered in recent years as climate change increases wildfire intensity. The grove, home to more than 500 mature giant sequoias, was closed Thursday after visitors reported seeing smoke from the Washburn Fire near a trail. About 1,600 people — almost all tourists — were evacuated the next day from the nearby community of Wawona, California, and its campground. A wildfire in Yosemite National Park threatens more than 500 sequoia trees. (Video: The Washington Post) No injuries, damaged structures or critical damage to the redwoods had been reported as of Saturday morning, said Nancy Phillips, Yosemite fire information spokeswoman. All named trees, including the 209-foot Grizzly Giant and the Bachelor and Three Graces, remained safe. “That’s one of the main priorities, is protecting this grove and all the history associated with it,” Phillipe said. Sequoia trees, which are native only to the Sierra Nevada and can live for about 3,000 years, have been increasingly at risk from worsening fires in recent summers. Although they tend to frequent fires, three fires since 2020 have killed 13 to 19 percent of all redwoods. Natural resource experts expect another large-scale blowout is possible this year. The world’s largest trees are struggling to survive climate change The Washburn Fire is another threat. Its origin is under investigation and Phillipe said there are no obvious weather-related causes. Firefighters were using various tools to protect the grove Saturday as the fire spread to more than 700 acres, Phillipe said. Engines sprayed the redwoods with hoses and built hand lines, a type of fire line constructed with hand tools, to create fuel breaks. Crews also covered redwoods with fireproof aluminum. From 2021: Fire threatens trees in Sequoia National Park. Fire blankets are the defense. High temperatures and low humidity this weekend are expected to complicate firefighting efforts, which have already been hampered by several downed trees, Phillipe said. Trees damaged by bark beetles, killed by drought caused by climate change, and felled by a major windstorm serve as fuel for the flames. Prescribed burns conducted periodically at Mariposa Grove in recent years have helped slow the spread of unwanted fires, Phillipe said. In fire-prone areas, controlled burns free up fuel and free up space for firefighters to work. Mariposa Grove, located near Yosemite’s south entrance, was closed in 2015 and reopened three years later after a $40 million restoration project — the largest in the park’s history. The initiative restored sequoia habitat, realigned roads and added shuttle service from the arrival area. After all that work, Phillipe said, park officials aren’t giving up on protecting the grove. “We’re putting this fire out,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to put it out.” Last year, trees in California’s Sequoia National Park were threatened by the KNP Complex Fire when the lightning-sparked blaze came dangerously close to the 275-foot General Sherman, the world’s largest tree by volume. The 2020 Castle Fire burned a third of the area’s redwood forests. Nearly 23,000 acres have been burned by wildfires in California this year. People who never thought they were at risk from climate change are waking up to floods and fires. (Video: Monica Rodman/The Washington Post)
