CA Wildfires May Have Destroyed Hundreds Of Giant Sequoias

CALIFORNIA — A massive fire reportedly ripped through at least 15 giant sequoia groves, possibly killing hundreds of the ancient trees, a national parks official told the Associated Press.

The KNP Complex fire sparked on Sept. 10 and was just 20 percent contained on Monday, according to the national parks service. The massive fire has scorched 87,145 acres and shuttered roads, campgrounds and all other facilities throughout the two national parks it was burning within.

Thousands of firefighters were still working to suppress the blaze in across challenging topography. Last week, four firefighters were working to mop up hotspots when a tree fell on them, the AP reported.

At least two groves, including one with 5,000 giant sequoias, were decimated by high-intensity fire that could send up 100-foot flames, which could singe the canopies of the massive trees.

"It's heartbreaking," said Cristy Brigham, the head of resource management and science for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks.

Read more from the Associated Press: California fires may have killed hundreds of giant sequoias

Last month, famous giant sequoias, aptly named "The Four Guardsmen," were unscathed by the KNP Complex fire as it barreled toward the edge of Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, officials said.

Fire agencies were able to save the iconic trees from the approaching complex fire, which was ignited by lightning. Crews cleared out vegetation and wrapped the base of the trees in fire-resistant material.

. That fire had burned more than 23,743 acres in sequoia country as of Monday morning.

"Generally fires can be destructive however low-intensity fires can be beneficial to giant sequoia trees. A damage assessment will be done in these groves when it is safe to do so," a Sequoia National Forest statement said Sunday.

The KNP Complex originated from two lightning-sparked fires which eventually merged on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

Sequoia trees are equipped with a durable armor of bark, designed to weather wildfires and even thrive within them. Their cones also release seeds when exposed to fire. But a threatening combination of recent drought, rising climates and relentless fire seasons have wreaked havoc on hundreds of these trees over the past decade.

A sequoia's crown can typically reach far above a fire line and can survive a forest fire if its crown remains just 5 percent green and unburned, the LA Times previously reported.

Historic drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight this year. It has killed millions of trees in California alone. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive, scientists said.

More than 7,883 wildfires in California this year have damaged or destroyed more than 3,000 homes and other buildings and torched well more than 2.48 million acres since the beginning of the year. In comparison to the same time last year, there were 8,278 wildfires, which burned more than 3.6 million acres.