US: Crews protect sequoias from Yellowstone wildfire

| Jul 14, 2022, 02:11:51 PM | AP
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A wildfire that threatened a grove of California's giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was burning eastward into the Sierra National Forest on Wednesday. The size of the Washburn Fire increased to more than 5.8 square miles (15 square kilometers), resulting in a decrease in containment from 22% to 17%. The fire had been entirely within the national park since breaking out July 7, when visitors to the Mariposa Grove of ancient sequoias reported smoke. Authorities have not said how the fire started and whether it involved a crime or some type of accident. The fire in the southern portion of Yosemite forced evacuation of hundreds of visitors and residents from the small community of Wawona, but the rest of the park has remained open to summer crowds. One firefighter suffered a heat injury and recovered, but no structures have been damaged and there's been no damage to any large sequoias, she said. Fire officials have described the fire as being on the outskirts of Mariposa Grove and said they don't expect flames to advance inward.

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