The image is striking.
The imposing General Shermann, 83 meters tall, considered the largest tree in the world, wrapped at its base in a fireproof blanket.
Like him, several trees in Sequoia National Park in California have been overwhelmed by firefighters in recent days.
The goal: to protect them from a fire, started on September 9, 2021, which is approaching dangerously and still threatened them on September 23.
The national park is home to around 2,000 giant sequoias, which only grow in this region of the world and are considered the most voluminous trees in existence today.
Low-intensity fires are usually not enough to harm these 2,000 to 3,000 year old colossi.
They are naturally adapted to these disasters with their very thick bark and the first branches that can grow thirty meters high, out of the reach of the flames.
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On the contrary, these trees need fires to reproduce: the heat of the flames shatters the cones that have fallen to the ground like popcorn to release hundreds of seeds.
But the mega-fires of recent years, too violent, have become a threat to them.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill at the entrance to the national park on September 23.
It provides $ 15 billion to fight against global warming and protect vulnerable communities, including $ 1.5 billion to prevent forest fires.
