An out-of-control wildfire is threatening a grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park and it's prompted evacuations orders for hundreds of people.
The Washburn Fire burns in Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Friday, July 8, 2022. – The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was closed Friday and hundreds of people ordered evacuated nearby as a wildfire burning through dense forest became the latest in recent years to threaten the world’s largest trees.
The cause of the fire was under investigation and the rest of the park remained open as nearly 300 firefighters tried to control the flames with the help of two water-dropping helicopters and an air tanker dumping flame retardant, Phillipe said. Evacuation orders were issued Friday for the grove along with the nearby community of Wawona — which is surrounded by the park — and the Wawona Campground, where about 600 to 700 people were staying in a campground, cabins and an historic hotel.
“When the unwanted fires hit those areas, it tends to slow the rate of spread and helps us gain some control,” Phillipe said.
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