Sequoia National Park's Giant Trees At Risk As Wildfires Grow

Fire crews moved to ramp up the battle against two expanding fires threatening Sequoia National Park’s giant sequoia trees and infrastructure.

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Fire crews moved to ramp up the battle Wednesday against two expanding forest fires threatening Sequoia National Park’s giant sequoia trees and infrastructure.

The Colony and Paradise fires, ignited by lightning strikes last week, covered about 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) in California’s steep Sierra Nevada.

The Colony Fire was a threat to Giant Forest, home to more than 2,000 sequoias, but not imminently, said Mark Ruggiero, fire information officer for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.