00:00California firefighters are racing against time to protect some of the oldest living things on Earth.
00:07The Garnett Fire, sparked by lightning on August 24th, has now burned nearly 55,000 acres in Sierra National Forest, about 65 miles northeast of Fresno.
00:19It's threatening McKinley Grove, home to about 165 giant sequoias, some more than 2,000 years old.
00:26To defend the grove, crew set up sprinklers to keep the ground wet, cleared brush to slow flames, and even brought in smoke jumpers trained to climb trees and knock out embers high in the canopy.
00:38On Monday, embers reached several sequoia branches, but officials say none of the trees have been lost.
00:44The fire has produced massive smoke plumes rising over 30,000 feet, signs of extreme behavior.
00:50Air quality has plunged across the Sierra, with Yosemite Valley in the very unhealthy range, and Mammoth Lakes and Bishop reaching hazardous levels.
01:00Evacuations remain in place for parts of Fresno County.
01:03Scientists warn sequoias are more vulnerable than ever.
01:07Nearly 20 percent of the world's mature giants have been killed in megafire since 2020.
01:12Drought, climate change, and decades of fire suppression have left the forest dangerously overgrown.
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