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One of the iconic giant sequoias from California still smoking in one area of the state ravaged by forest fires massive last summer, National Park authorities said Wednesday.
“Scientists and fire crews were examining the effects of the 2020 fire in the Sequoia National Park, when they observed a giant sequoia yet smoky which appears to be caused by the fire last year, “the park said in a statement.
Experts believe that the circumstances of the tree are the result of Forest fire which started on August 19, 2020 when a spark of lightning grew and spread throughout the region, burning approximately 700 square kilometers of Forest in December.
The tree in question is isolated and does not represent a danger to its surroundings or to visitors to the Park, but the fact that fire effects persist months later “shows how dry the Park“said Canyon National Parks fire expert Leif Mathiesen.
“With the low amount of snowfall and rain this year, there may be additional discoveries as spring turns into summer“, and warned that they might find other trees under potentially similar conditions.
Western USA suffered a fire season particularly brutal in 2020 while facing a acute drought aggravated by the effects of climate change, with 33 people dead and more than 17 thousand square kilometers burned only in California.
The authorities fear that the fires will be repeated this year and have already begun to prepare as the drought continues.
The giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world and they can live up to 3,400 years, according to the National Park Service.
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