Yosemite wildfire threatens millennia-old sequoia trees including "Grizzly Giant"

A wildfire threatening some of the world's oldest giant sequoia trees in California's Yosemite National Park expanded five-fold on Saturday and Sunday as teams of National Park Service employees cleared away undergrowth and set up an elaborate sprinkler system around one of the park's most well-known attractions - a tree called the Grizzly Giant.
"We're trying to give it some, you know, preventive first aid, really, and make sure that when the fire, if the fire comes over here, that this tree is protected," Botanist Garrett Dickman said. "We really don't want to leave this one to chance because this really is such an iconic tree."
As of Sunday, the blaze had scorched nearly 1,600 acres of timber and brush at the southern end of the park, up from 250 acres on Friday, a day after fire was first reported by visitors on the Washburn Trail of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
While flames stoked by extremely dry, hot conditions worsening on Sunday have burned largely unchecked, none of Yosemite's landmark sequoias, some of them over 3,000 years old and given names, has yet been lost.
Coming at the height of the summer tourist season, the park evacuated an estimate of 1,600 people and shut down the southern entrance which draws about 4 million visitors a year, according to park officials. The cause of the blaze remained under investigation, and no injuries have been reported, officials said.
For more info, please go to globalnews.ca/news/8981152/se...
Subscribe to Global News Channel HERE: bit.ly/20fcXDc
Like Global News on Facebook HERE: bit.ly/255GMJQ
Follow Global News on Twitter HERE: bit.ly/1Toz8mt
Follow Global News on Instagram HERE: bit.ly/2QZaZIB
#GlobalNews #CaliforniaWildfires #GrizzlyGiant

[@TagusMan]

I once drove through Yosemite lata at night, all alone. Suddenly, there was fire on both sides of the road. No fire trucks or crews. No other cars in sight. Surreal and scary.

[@charlieakin8074]

Guess what, That tree has survived a MANY FIRES. Doubt they will lose this time. By the way this is Forest Reclamation Mother nature style

[@Uroki_ANGLIYSKOGO_s_Nulya_]

Instead of using water to put out fires, fire engines and firefighters must spray liquid CLAY MORTAR!!! It is a natural product and clay mortar keeps water and moister on the ground and on trees and vegetation for a long time. Plain water evaporates reallly fast or seeps into the ground fast! Also clay mortar stops flow of oxygen on the applied area and fire automatically puts out itself!!! Please, spread this message!

[@ianhowes8141]

Fire is a natural part of the Sequoia ecosystem. A century of fire suppression has created the problem being faced today. California and the US Parks service should be chastised for mis-management of these natural phenomena.

[@sunkiis]

🙏🏻

[@justintrades7851]

why not put sprinklers in whole forest p revent fires

[@freebie808]

DIRECT ENERGY WEAPONS

[@Name-mo3rc]

Aluminum aerial spraying

[@tesssst4874]

That's right Global Nationalist. Tell us everything you've got

[@giftedplanksify]

Maybe it's its time? I really hope not

[@freebie808]

Canada 2010 true North strong and free. Canada 2020 +++ North..