"A yellow hose runs past the foot of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest, and sprinklers drench the forest floor. Those sprinklers are among the last line of defense installed by firefighters to protect giant sequoias in the McKinley Grove from flames, as thunderstorms continue to drive growth on the 29,718-acre Garnet Fire burning in the Sierra Nevada. "The fire is roughly three miles southeast of the grove's southern edge," said Joe Zwierzchowski, the public information officer assigned to the Garnet Fire, in an email to SFGATE on Tuesday afternoon."
"The fire "actually did touch the McKinley Grove Road," Browning said. "[Fire crews] were able to hold that road and keep things in place. They're looking to contain that and stop that spread of that fire." As of 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the Garnet Fire was 12% contained. Lightning sparked the fire on Aug. 24, and meteorologists continue to forecast isolated thunderstorms with erratic winds that could continue to drive growth and spread the Garnet Fire."
Thunderstorms and erratic winds have driven rapid growth of the 29,718-acre Garnet Fire in the Sierra Nevada, which was sparked by lightning on Aug. 24. The fire jumped and expanded by about 5,000 acres overnight, with most growth on the north front through the Teakettle Experimental Forest toward McKinley Grove. Flames reached the southern point of McKinley Grove Road, but crews held the road and worked to contain the spread. As a precaution, firefighters installed a sprinkler system around sequoias and removed dead vegetation at tree bases. The fire was reported 12% contained while forecasts warn of more isolated storms.
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