Firefighters shrouded the base of the world ¿s tallest tree in a fireproof blanket on Friday in a bid to protect it from a wildfire in California’s Sierra Nevada.
The colossal Sherman tree in the vast forest of Sequoia National Park, along with parts of other giant redwoods, the Giant Forest Museum and other buildings were wrapped as protection from a potential powerful blaze, fire department spokeswoman Rebecca Paterson said.
Firefighters use aluminium coverings that can be used to stand against intense heat for a short time.
Federal officials say they’ve been using the material for several years in all western states to protect sensitive structures against fires.
The Colony fire, one of two burning in Sequoia National Park, would reach the giant forest – a grove of 2.000 redwoods – eventually on Thursday.
Last year, a conflagration killed thousands of redwoods that were thousands of years old.
The largest tree in the world, measuring 1.487 cubic meters (1.487 cubic metres), according to the National Park Service is the largest in the world.
Crews had limited access to the Colony Fire, and due to the extreme steepness of the terrain surrounding the Paradise Fire, this prevented the two fires in their tracks from fully burning, requiring extensive air strikes and flame retardant drops.
