this fire in Yosemite National Park will
consume 70 acres of forest as big as 68
football fields and it was deliberately
started by man for most of the last
century naturally-occurring fires in
Yosemite usually caused by lightning
were put out whenever they started the
result was an incredible buildup of
Deadwood and undergrowth which fuelled
catastrophic infernos now National Park
firefighters play catch-up they manage
and allow naturally-occurring fires to
burn or set controlled fires like this
we can’t let all fires burn and we can’t
put all fires out we have to find that
medium but understand that fire is vital
and important part of our ecosystem this
fire has special significance and
special risks because it is burning in
one of the most historically important
few square miles of all Yosemite
the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias
yosemite x’ largest remaining stand of
these great trees the Sequoias are an
iconic symbol of yosemite this grove was
one of the main reasons President
Lincoln took time out from the Civil War
to declare Yosemite a protected place in
1864 when it was policy to stop fires at
all costs
few Sequoia sprouted why was an enduring
mystery finally solved just a few
decades ago
giant sequoias depend on fire to
reproduce the heat opens their seed
cones their seeds are released the
flames clear the earth for their
germination while lesser trees blaze
around them the giant sequoias stand
virtually unscathed by the flames
they’re remarkably fire resistant their
bark is possibly the thickest of any
known tree on earth sometimes more than
two feet at the base of the tree it
prevents flames of fast burning fires
from reaching the interior of the tree
they have seen fire for eons and they
will continue to see it if we have
anything to do about it when the flames
die down the earth is ready for a new
generation of giant sequoias
they’re one of the oldest living things
on earth some have been around some
3,000 years and they stand as tall as a
twenty seven story building one of the
natural symbols that make Yosemite
National Park one of America’s greatest
wonders
consume 70 acres of forest as big as 68
football fields and it was deliberately
started by man for most of the last
century naturally-occurring fires in
Yosemite usually caused by lightning
were put out whenever they started the
result was an incredible buildup of
Deadwood and undergrowth which fuelled
catastrophic infernos now National Park
firefighters play catch-up they manage
and allow naturally-occurring fires to
burn or set controlled fires like this
we can’t let all fires burn and we can’t
put all fires out we have to find that
medium but understand that fire is vital
and important part of our ecosystem this
fire has special significance and
special risks because it is burning in
one of the most historically important
few square miles of all Yosemite
the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias
yosemite x’ largest remaining stand of
these great trees the Sequoias are an
iconic symbol of yosemite this grove was
one of the main reasons President
Lincoln took time out from the Civil War
to declare Yosemite a protected place in
1864 when it was policy to stop fires at
all costs
few Sequoia sprouted why was an enduring
mystery finally solved just a few
decades ago
giant sequoias depend on fire to
reproduce the heat opens their seed
cones their seeds are released the
flames clear the earth for their
germination while lesser trees blaze
around them the giant sequoias stand
virtually unscathed by the flames
they’re remarkably fire resistant their
bark is possibly the thickest of any
known tree on earth sometimes more than
two feet at the base of the tree it
prevents flames of fast burning fires
from reaching the interior of the tree
they have seen fire for eons and they
will continue to see it if we have
anything to do about it when the flames
die down the earth is ready for a new
generation of giant sequoias
they’re one of the oldest living things
on earth some have been around some
3,000 years and they stand as tall as a
twenty seven story building one of the
natural symbols that make Yosemite
National Park one of America’s greatest
wonders
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