YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town.
Campers near the blaze were evacuated but the rest of the sprawling park in California remained open, though smoke that hung in the air obscured some scenic vistas.
More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened in the Mariposa Grove but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. Some of the massive trunks were wrapped in fire-resistant foil for protection.
The cause of the Washburn Fire was under investigation.
Beyond the trees, the town of Wawona, which is surrounded by parkland and a campground, was under threat, with people ordered to leave their homes and campsites Friday.
The blaze was proving difficult to contain, with firefighters throwing “every tactic imaginable” at it, including dropping fire retardant from the air, said Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson.
