KNP Complex Fire likely killed hundreds of giant sequoias, officials say
Park officials said it appeared that two groves, including one with 5,000 trees, were seared by high-intensity flames.
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. -- Park officials with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks say the KNP Complex Fire may have killed hundreds of giant sequoias in the Sierra Nevada.
The fire's impact on the giant sequoia groves was mixed. Officials said most of the trees saw low to medium intensity fire behavior that the sequoias have evolved to survive.
However, park officials said it appeared that two groves, including one with 5,000 trees, were seared by high-intensity flames.
In recent weeks, the wildfire came close to a group of trees known as the Four Guardsmen, which form a natural entryway on the road to the Giant Sequoia forest.
Firefighters removed nearby vegetation and wrapped fire-resistant material around the bases of the massive trees, which saved some of the iconic giant sequoias.
The KNP Complex Fire has scorched nearly 86,000 acres and remains just 11% contained.
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