World’s Largest Tree Wrapped With Blanket To Protect it From Raging Wildfires
Image via ID 169299447 © Minnystock | Dreamstime.com
Wildfires raging in Sierra Nevada, California, are beginning to creep up on the Sequoia National Park, which houses some of the most famous old-growth sequoia trees in Giant Forest.
Unlike the park personnel and other nearby residents, they couldn’t be evacuated.
These trees have been standing for thousands of years and include the General Sherman Tree: the largest tree on Earth. It stands at 275 feet tall and measures up to 52,508 cubic feet, its volume earning it the title.
To protect General Sherman and other trees, staff and firefighters began to wrap them in blankets. Made of aluminum, these are designed to act as a buffer between the flames and the trees.
Only the bases of the trees were wrapped, as the other 100+ feet of their heights weren’t possible to reach. “The idea is to keep ground fire from getting at the tree where it is most likely to burn, which is close to the ground,” fire spokesperson Rebecca Paterson tells The Guardian.
The material helps to soothe flames and is already commonly used to protect structures. Rarely is it seen on natural features, such as trees, but the firefighters working against the KNP Complex fire raging in the park don’t have any other solution.
“It is really indicative of what a special priority the iconic monarch sequoias of the Giant Forest are for the parks and for the incident management team,” Paterson states.
The Biggest Tree in the World, the General Sherman, raked and wrapped in preparation for the incoming #KNPComplex fire. Sequoia National Park pic.twitter.com/EpVkaYvimE
— Yosemite Steve (@YosemiteSteve) September 17, 2021
Giant sequoias are actually already pretty good at withstanding fire: the heat helps them to reproduce, as seeds are released from their cones and the fire also results in clearings where the new trees can grow.
However, these fires are too intense to encourage life; instead, they threaten the existence of the trees, let alone create room for more.
“There’s no imminent threat to Giant Forest, but that is a potential,” says Mark Ruggiero, fire information officer for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The closest flames were about a mile away, he explains, but that could change with time.
Last year, a similar devastation saw the loss of around 7,500 to 10,600 large sequoias, according to CBS News. It’s a truly devastating indication of climate change.
FIRE UPDATE - The Paradise Fire has a new acreage of 2,531 acres, and the Colony Fire has a new acreage of 493 acres, for a combined total for the KNP Complex of 3,024, with 0% containment. For updates on the KNP Complex, follow https://t.co/VpxXBv19c4. pic.twitter.com/CFlPLxNAOP
— Sequoia & Kings Cyn (@SequoiaKingsNPS) September 14, 2021
[via CBS, image via via ID 169299447 © Minnystock | Dreamstime.com]
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