How Sequoias Survive Wildfires, in Yosemite and Beyond
As the Rim Fire menaces Yosemite, a tree expert explains how the big trees survive.
The Rim Fire has burned for nine days, razing 134,000 acres, which makes it one of the biggest blazes in California's history. The flames have largely been confined to Yosemite's remote northwestern section, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the iconic Yosemite Valley.
The fire has not yet reached the two groves of giant sequoias in the park, small enclaves called the Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove. But rangers have taken the precaution of placing sprinklers around those big trees. (Read about giant sequoias in National Geographic magazine.)
"These two groves are precious resources that the public is concerned about, and rightly so, because they are amazing," Stephen C. Sillett told National Geographic. Sillett is an ecologist with Humboldt State
