A giant sequoia tree in California is still smoldering 9 months after it caught fire

Joshua Yeager, Visalia Times-Delta
·2 min read

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — A giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park is still smoldering nine months after it caught fire during last summer's wildfires.

National park scientists were surveying the damage caused by last year's Castle Fire when they discovered the burning giant sequoia in the remote Board Camp Grove earlier this week. They said the discovery shows just how dry conditions in the central Sierra have been this year.

“The fact areas are still smoldering and smoking from the 2020 Castle Fire demonstrates how dry the park is,” said Leif Mathiesen, assistant fire management officer for Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, in a statement.

“With the low amount of snowfall and rain this year, there may be additional discoveries as spring transitions into summer," he added.

The Sierra saw less than half of its average snowfall totals this year and nearly 95% of Tulare County is experiencing "extreme drought," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The dry conditions prompted the Board of Supervisors last week to declare a local drought emergency.

Last August, lightning sparked the Castle Fire deep in the Sequoia National Forest. A gust of wind drove the fire across the southern border of the park in September, shuttering it for several weeks and causing thousands to evacuate from nearby Three Rivers.

The Castle Fire merged with the smaller Shotgun Fire and was renamed the SQF Complex in September. The fire incident was Tulare County's largest, burning more than 174,000 acres and 230 structures before it was contained in January 2021.

Fifteen giant sequoias died in the blaze, most of them within the Giant Sequoia National Monument, which is not located in Sequoia National Park.

The tree smoldering in the national park is located deep within existing fire lines and poses no threat to the public or structures, rangers said. There is no direct access by any trail to the tree but it can be seen from Ladybug Trail near the South Fork Campgrounds.

Follow Joshua Yeager on Twitter @VTD_Joshy.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Sequoia National Park: Tree still burning after 2020 Castle Fire

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • London mayoral election 2024: which candidate should you vote for?

    The election is four weeks away, and the battle for London is well and truly on — but do you know your way around the candidates? Robbie Griffiths has the ultimate Top Trumps cheat sheet to help you choose

  • Voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole never considered moving out of St. John's

    ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was "everything" to him. Megan Cole says her father was asked to move away many times throughout his career with the CBC, for which he became the voice of "Hockey Night in Canada" for generations. She says he never entertained the idea — he loved returning home to St. John's after spending his Saturday night in various hockey cities behind the mic, nar

  • Post Office paid widow in instalments for silence

    The Horizon scandal inquiry reveals details of the biggest miscarriage of justice in UK legal history.

  • Bulls NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Dalton Knecht

    As the Chicago Bulls prepare for the offseason, the 2024 NBA Draft will mark a crucial point for them. After three years of mediocrity with their current core, Arturas Karnisovas finally admitted that the current roster isn't working. Now, the Bulls ...

  • Exclusive-Half of Russia's payments to China made through middlemen, sources say

    Russian firms' efforts to make payments for goods in China as secondary sanctions fears spook local banks have generated a flourishing market for middlemen, four sources told Reuters, with up to half of transactions now handled by intermediaries. The U.S. Treasury has warned it could apply sanctions on those facilitating transactions with Russia, calling on foreign banks to boost compliance.

  • Owner of exploding Michigan building arrested at airport while trying to leave US, authorities say

    CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — The owner of a suburban Detroit business that caught fire and exploded, killing a man, was arrested at a New York airport as he was preparing to depart for Hong Kong on a one-way ticket, authorities said Friday. U.S. Customs and New York Port Authority personnel arrested Noor Noel Kestou, 31, on Saturday at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was brought back to Michigan on Wednesday. Kestou, of Commerce Township, was arraigned Thursday on an involuntary mans

  • Athletes tied to Iowa gambling sting seek damages in civil lawsuit against state and investigators

    Attorneys for more than two dozen Iowa and Iowa State athletes who were ensnared in a state gambling sting filed a civil lawsuit Friday seeking unspecified monetary damages from the state and its public safety and criminal investigation agencies for violating the athletes' rights and smearing their reputations. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Des Moines and names as plaintiffs 17 athletes from Iowa, eight from Iowa State and one from Ellsworth Community College. Most of the athletes who faced criminal charges connected to the 2023 investigation agreed to plead guilty to underage gambling and pay a fine and in return had a count of identity theft dismissed.

  • King to resume public duties after positive cancer treatment

    Charles has been receiving care as an outpatient since early February.

  • Outgoing Dutch prime minister visits Turkey's Erdogan in his bid for the NATO chief position

    The Netherlands’ outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte was in Turkey on Friday, seeking support from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the Dutch official's bid for the position of NATO secretary general. Incumbent NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister who has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014, is nearing the end of his term.

  • Murder suspect arrested in connection with fatal shooting on Fort Worth’s north side

    Samuel Moreno, 32, was booked into the Fort Worth City Jail on Thursday. He faces a murder charge.

  • Emma Stone wants people to use her real first name

    Emma chose the name change because Emily Stone - her real name - was taken by another actor.

  • Ellen DeGeneres admits 'devastating' bully accusations affected marriage to Portia de Rossi

    The talk show host also admitted being branded the 'most hated person in America' was a huge blow to her ego

  • EU antitrust regulators warn IAG, Air Europa deal may reduce competition

    EU antitrust regulators on Friday warned that British Airways owner IAG's bid to secure full control of Air Europa may reduce competition and lead to price increases. The European Commission singled out the impact on Spanish domestic routes and short-haul and long-haul routes in a statement of objections to the companies, confirming a Reuters story earlier this month. "The Commission is concerned that customers may face increased prices and/or decreased quality of services after the transaction," the EU competition watchdog said in a statement.

  • Judge denies SC 3rd Congressional District hopeful’s request to stop ballot printing

    The SC GOP kept Michael LaPierre’s name off the ballot. He sued his party and the election commission.

  • Anne Hathaway Says Development on Third “Princess Diaries ”Movie Is 'in a Good Place'

    It's been nearly 20 years since the release of 2004's "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement"

  • US to withdraw troops from Chad in wake of Niger exit

    The United States will pull dozens of special forces soldiers from Chad, days after announcing it would also withdraw troops from neighbouring Niger.

  • 20 States With the Most Beautiful Flags According to Reddit

    In this article, we will list 20 states with the most beautiful flags according to Reddit. If you want to skip our discussion about Minnesota’s new flag, the importance of flags for tourism, and international and domestic tourism in the United States, go to 5 States With the Most Beautiful Flags According to Reddit. As we […]

  • When to Use Ricotta vs. Cottage Cheese

    Here’s everything you need to know when choosing between these fresh, milky cheeses.

  • Kansas lawmakers fail in last-ditch effort to pass Medicaid expansion ahead of elections

    Kansas Republican lawmakers have resisted efforts to expand Medicaid for the past decade.

  • Meme stocks are 'speculation,' not investing. Here's why.

    As meme stocks gain traction, Todd Walsh, Alpha Cubed Investments CEO and author of Exponential Gains: How to Find and Manage the Next Great Stocks and Transform Your Portfolio, joins Wealth! to shed light on why investors should avoid these speculative investments. Walsh points out that "a generation of investors" are currently drawn to meme stocks, mistakenly believing they are investing when, in reality, these stocks "are just speculation." He emphasizes the importance of investors establishing a "foundation" and an "investment process" that filters out speculative plays. Walsh advises investors to "get away from the idea of making a big score" and instead focus on factors such as a company's earnings and profitability. This approach promotes a more disciplined investment strategy, he adds. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Angel Smith