A giant sequoia tree burned in a massive 2020 wildfire has been found still smoldering and smoking in Sequoia National Park.
The cause is thought to be the 2020 Castle Fire, which scorched more than 270 square miles in the Sierra Nevada. "There are no current threats to life or property and fire managers are prepared to take action if conditions warrant," park officials said in a news release on Wednesday.
The tree is located "well interior of any fire lines" and far from any trails in the southwestern part of the park, likely continuing to burn through rain and possible snow during the winter season.
"With the low amount of snowfall and rain this year, there may be additional discoveries as spring transitions into summer," park officials said.
Like many fires in California last year, the Castle Fire was caused by lightning in August 2020. It merged with the Shotgun Fire to form the giant SQF Complex, covering 174,000 acres across the Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, Sequoia National Park, Golden Trout Wilderness and more.
California’s national and state parks and forests have been ravaged by wildfire over the last several years, including a fire that devastated Big Basin State Park in the Bay Area last summer. The Creek Fire also burned over 380,000 acres, most of it in the Sierra National Forest.
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