LIVING HISTORY

Fire Reaches Edge of California’s Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, Home to World’s Biggest Tree

As of Wednesday, the KNP Complex fire had exploded to 7,039 acres with 0 percent containment, threatening Sequoia National Park’s unique treasures.

The flames from the raging KNP Complex Fire are reported to be just one mile away from California’s famous Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park—home to some of the oldest and biggest trees on Earth. According to the Los Angeles Times, the fire has ripped through the national park due to a high number of extremely flammable trees dried out by recent droughts. As of Wednesday, the blaze had exploded to 7,039 acres with zero percent containment. The blaze is a mile from the edge of the Giant Forest, which is most famous for being the home of the 275-foot General Sherman tree—the largest living tree by volume on the planet. The Sequoia National Park has been closed and employees living within it have been ordered to flee. Mark Ruggiero, a spokesperson for the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, said his crews are “watching closely” as the flames threaten the forest.