Fire threatens sequoia: “General Sherman” in danger

The “General Sherman” is the most powerful sequoia sequoia in the world. It is said to be 1900 to 2500 years old – and is now endangered by the forest fires in California. Fire blankets should protect him from the fire.

Usually, the star of Sequoia National Park in California is always surrounded by tourists. Around two million people come to the park every year to see “General Sherman”, arguably the thickest, tallest sequoia in the world. The more than 80 meter high tree with the reddish brown thick bark is said to be around 2000 years old. But now the streets are closed, tourists have to stay outside – a fire is raging nearby.

And the Sherman tree, named after a lieutenant in the American Civil War, is also endangered by a forest fire. “These trees are used to fire, but not in this intensity, we want to protect them, just like the historic huts in the national park,” explains fireman Steven Bekkerus on local television.

Blankets against the fire

The firefighters use helicopters to try to penetrate the mountainous, impassable terrain and extinguish it. The emergency services have now wrapped aluminum blankets around the tree, which is eight meters in diameter. So the trunk should at least be protected a little.

Sequoias usually survive lighter fires well; their thick, soft bark protects them, explains Sequoia expert Nate Stevenson: “They are incredibly fire-resistant in normal forest fires. The bark keeps the fire away from the wood. But in recent years we have seen that more sequoias are dying because the fires are burning ever more intensely. “

Why the hundred-year-old trees have become more sensitive is being investigated. Scientists have found that they are often attacked by insects that had never been seen before. It is believed that the overall warmer earth temperatures play a role.