California fires have burned more than 70,000 acres of coast redwood forest
Wildfires have burned more than a million acres during what the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is calling the August Lightning Siege of 2020. Of this acreage, wildfires have burned approximately 72,000 acres of coast redwood forest. Roughly 9,000 acres of this has been in old-growth redwoods.
Coast redwoods, particularly old-growth redwoods, have proven themselves to be highly resistant to fire, so League officials have said throughout this crisis that they are cautiously optimistic about the fate of the trees. Nonetheless, the fires have caused a great amount of hardship for communities in the path of these fires and the first responders working to keep people safe.
The fires have also moved toward, and even into, several state parks. The most notable instance of this has been in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, where wildfire last week destroyed the park headquarters, museum, and other facilities. Save the Redwoods League has joined with Sempervirens Fund to create the Big Basin Recovery Fund to support the immediate needs at the park while laying the groundwork for the long-term rebuilding of this treasure of the California State Parks system.
