Cal fires rage on, threaten world's biggest trees

Fire threatening Sequoia Nat'l Park grows five times in size (msn.com); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Two wildfires sparked by lightning strikes last week grew roughly five times in size Tuesday, with blazes towering across more than 5,000 acres in California as officials worry of threats to Sequoia Nat'l Park.

Mark Ruggiero, a spokesperson for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, said Tuesday that the Paradise and Colony fires, which are collectively known as the KNP Complex, grew to 5,681 acres by Tuesday afternoon, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Ruggiero added that the fires have "intensified tremendously" in recent days, causing multiple evacuation orders and warnings.

On Monday evening, the Paradise Fire crossed the middle fork of the Kaweah River and the Generals Highway, according to the National Park Service. Park officials then evacuated employees from the Ash Mountain Headquarters Complex and nearby communities.

Clay Jordan, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, said during a community meeting Tuesday that due to the steep terrain, crews have had difficulty reaching the blaze, adding that air teams "literally started painting the mountains red with retardant." More + VIDEO

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