Fires destroyed between 7,500 and more than 10,000 redwoods last year, researchers write. That is 10 to 14 percent of the total number worldwide. “Between 2015 and 2020, two-thirds of all sequoia forests in the Sierra Nevada were burned by wildfires,” a fire service spokesman told the British newspaper. The Guardian. “Hopefully the giant forest will come out of here unharmed now.”
Reproduction
The Giant Sequoias need fire to reproduce and can withstand smaller fires well because of their sheer thickness. The heat from small forest fires releases seeds and kills thin trees, so that the other seqoias have room to grow. Due to climate change, the fires are getting bigger and hotter, reaching higher up the tree, up to the leaves, and wreaking havoc.
The fire that is now raging was caused by lightning during a heavy thunderstorm. Sequoia National Park, including the museum, campgrounds, and shops, will remain closed to visitors for the time being.
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