Smoke Rises as Firefighters Protect Trees in Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest

A famous grove of 2,000 sequoia trees in California’s Sequoia National Forest was unharmed by the wildfires burning in the area as of September 21, according to reports.

Two wildfires were burning in the Sequoia National Park: the 31,388-acre Windy Fire and 28,421-acre KNP Complex. The park’s Giant Forest is home to 2,000 sequoias, including the General Sherman tree, by some measures the world’s largest living thing. Fire crews covered sequoias with aluminum foil and cleared debris around the trees to prevent them from burning.

Kings Canyon National Park closed on Tuesday as the KNP Complex spread, while an air quality alert from the National Weather Service remained in place for parts of Tulare County due to the wildfires.

Video posted Tuesday shows a fire crew trudging up a hill in Sequoia National Park. A plume of smoke can be seen rising in the background. Credit: Oregon Woods Inc via Storyful