Firefighters who drop from the sky will climb from ground in bid to save giant Sequoias in Sierra from Garnet Fire

"Embers launched by the Garnet Fire were smoldering Tuesday in the high branches of several trees in a cherished grove of iconic giant sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada, and a team of firefighting smoke jumpers was on the way to try to put them out. Fire officials believed the tree-canopy fires were the last remaining threat to McKinley Grove, after firefighters clearing underbrush and debris, and even deploying sprinklers succeeded in keeping flames that entered the grove from inflicting significant damage."

"On Sunday night and into Monday morning, when the north side of the 55,000-acre blaze in the mountains east of Fresno exploded in a 10,000-acre run, it spat embers across a valley into McKinley Grove, a popular cluster of giant sequoias a tree found only in California. The firebrands, likely bits of bark and branches, landed in the trees and have been burning in built-up debris on branches, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Joe Zwierzchowski."

Embers from the Garnet Fire are smoldering in high branches of giant sequoias at McKinley Grove, posing the remaining canopy threat after ground clearing. A 55,000-acre blaze produced a 10,000-acre run that spat embers across a valley into the grove, and the firebrands settled in built-up debris on branches. Hoses cannot reach the small canopy fires because water can only be squirted about 50 to 60 feet upward. Specialized smokejumpers trained in climbing tall trees were dispatched to carry tools and knock smoldering material down to the forest floor for extinguishment.

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