CA Wildfire Threatens World's Oldest Tree

CALIFORNIA — Although firefighters have managed to make headway to contain a fire burning through eastern California, it's now threatening the home of the world's oldest tree.

The Silver Fire, which ignited on March 30, is still burning in Inyo County and has been spreading rapidly, fanned by strong winds, according to CalFire.

It has scorched about 1,600 acres and forced about 800 households to evacuate.

The fire has also become a threat to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. On Monday night, CalFire said that firefighters had stopped the forward progress of the blaze. And on Tuesday, firefighters said they had made "strong progress" to contain the fire to 50%.

However, multiple reports indicate that the fire is actively threatening the ancient forest, which holds some of the oldest known trees, including one called Methuselah, a bristlecone pine that is believed to be 4,856 years old.

"The fire still threatens structures, critical infrastructure, watersheds, endangered species, and cultural resources. Evacuation warnings remain in place, and repopulation efforts are ongoing," The Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit said on social media Tuesday.

Methuselah is thought to be the world's oldest living organism.

"This tree is nearly 1,000 years older than any other bristlecone alive today," according to the National Park Service. "It lives in a secret location in the White Mountain range of eastern California."

Methuselah became the oldest known tree after "Prometheus" was cut down in 1964 by a doctoral student while he was studying how climate change could be measured by its influence on the growth rings of ancient bristlecones. The tree was nearly 4,900 years old, according to NPS.

This occurred in what is now known as Great Basin National Park.