NEW YORK – A blanket to save the largest tree in the world from fire. The California firefighters have gone so far to protect the General Sherman sequoia, the most famous in America, which by volume exceeds all the trees of its species with a height of 84 meters and a circumference of 31.
The fire blanket was placed at the base of the tree and those around it to try to save it from the fires that have threatened the Sierra Nevada in the state of California for days. The fire broke out due to lightning and immediately spread, fueled by a dry and wooded surface, until it reached the Sequoias National Park.
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In recent days, the authorities had predicted that the “Colony fire”, one of the two fronts of the fire, would reach the Giant Forest – an area of the park where more than 2 thousand redwoods are found – by yesterday. For this reason, prevention operations have begun: “The colossal tree, the other redwoods and the buildings have been wrapped up to protect them from intense flames,” said the spokesperson for the fire brigade. Rebecca Paterson. The fire is now about two kilometers from the trees.
In general, flames are not always a threat to this genus of trees and can help redwoods thrive by clearing nearby shrubs. But the extraordinary intensity of the fires in recent years, fueled by climate change, make the fires a threat also for this species. In fact, last year, the fire called “Castle fire” destroyed between 7 thousand and 10 thousand species in California.
The fires, the latest in a long series that devastated hundreds of homes and nearly 9 kilometers in California this summer, forced the evacuation of the park and parts of the city of Three Rivers, near its main entrance.
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