Forest Service Moves to Protect Giant Sequoias From Wildfire (1)

The US Forest Service will use emergency authority to expedite efforts to protect sequoias from severe wildfire.

The move allows the agency immediately to start reducing hazardous fuels in about 13,000 acres of sequoia groves on national forest lands. Dead trees and undergrowth can spark catastrophic blazes and kill the iconic sequoias.

“Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more iconic giant sequoias,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said in a statement. “We can and must do more to protect giant sequoias using all the tools and flexibilities available to us.”

The Washburn Fire near Yosemite National Park in California ...