The Washburn Fire, a 2,340-acre wildfire that is burning through Yosemite National Park in California, is threatening the famous giant sequoia trees in Mariposa Grove. Firefighters believe that previous prevention efforts, including prescribed burns and clearing of the ground, have lowered the risk of serious harm to trees—some of which might be more than 2,000 years old. They’ve also installed sprinklers around the 209-foot-tall Grizzly Giant sequoia to keep the ground moist and used protective

General Sherman, a tree in the Giant Forest of Sequoia, is the largest known tree on Earth. | Travel Leisure

The giant sequoias of California start from something so small it can fit in the palm of your hand - a seed no bigger than a flake of oatmeal. Yet, with time and the right conditions, it can grow into a towering giant reaching over 270 feet tall and living for more than 3,000 years. Standing beneath one of these trees feels like stepping back in time, surrounded by living history that began with a seed just like this. 🌲✨ . . . . . #sequoias #sequoiatree #sequoiatrees #sequoia #sequoianationalpa