Firefighters Scramble to Save Groves of Grand Sequoia Trees Threatened by Wildfire

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KQED

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2021

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When the KNP Complex fire, which has burned about 40 square miles in the Western Sierra, began spreading through Sequoia National Park, firefighters mobilized to preserve the park's groves of ancient sequoia trees. Among the trees imperiled by the still uncontained fire, was General Sherman, the world's largest tree. We’ll hear about firefighters’ extraordinary efforts to save the giants, including wrapping them in aluminum blankets. And we’ll also talk about what a future of climate-intensified fires means for the iconic sequoias. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KikiWED podcasts comes from Rancho LaPuerta, boated the number one wellness resort and spa by readers of travel and leisure magazine. In August, three or four people sharing a cassida enjoy special vacation packages. Rancho LaPuerta.com. Switch to Comcast Business Mobile and save hundreds a year in your wireless bill. Comcast business powering possibilities.
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0:32.1	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim.
0:48.2	Coming up on forum, writer Richard Powers joins us.
0:51.3	The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Overstory, has a new novel
0:55.4	titled Bewilderment. It tells the story of a widowed dad who connects to his brilliant
1:00.4	and volatile young son through their shared love of the cosmos as he fights the pressure
1:06.0	to medicate him. First, though, we'll check in on the status of California's giant sequoias and learn how the world's largest tree, General Sherman, managed to escape the ravages of the K&P complex fire.
1:18.1	That's all next on Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
1:38.4	Officials say the ancient Sequoia, General Sherman, the world's largest tree, has survived the K&P complex fire as it moved through,
1:45.0	as have the four guardsmen, beloved trees of the southern Sierra Nevada.
1:49.0	But other fires continue to threaten some giant sequoias.
1:53.0	You can share your questions and the impact that sequoias I've had on you by calling 866-736-736.
2:00.0	Again, 866-733-686. Again, 866-7-3-3-6-7-86. Or post your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook
2:05.2	at KQED forum. Email us forum at KQED.org. Joining me now is NPR climate change correspondent
2:12.5	Lauren's summer. Hey, Lauren. Hi, thanks. Well, you know, we saw images of the trees being wrapped in these aluminum blankets.
2:20.4	Can you tell us how crews were able to protect California's oldest and biggest sequoias as the K&P complex fire passed through?
2:29.5	Yeah, it was a pretty striking image, right?
	...

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