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California fires: Burned redwoods at Big Basin, other parks will recover soon, experts say
Studies after other fires in redwood forests found trees turned green in months
Monday, 24 August 2020
The historic fire that roared through the ancient redwoods of Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz County, blackening all 18,000 acres of California’s oldest state park and destroying its historic buildings, has drawn international attention and prompted an outpouring of grief and concern.
But fire scientists who have carefully studied other coastal redwood forests after wildfires have surprisingly good news: Don’t worry. Even though they look terrible now, most of the trees will recover.
Not in 100 years. But much sooner. Amazingly, most of the giant, scorched black trees will begin sprouting green leaves again by this winter, they say, when rains begin. Coast redwoods, the tallest trees on Earth, have the Latin name Sequoia Sempervirens, which means “ever-living Sequoia.” Their breathtaking ability to stand tall in the face of floods, fires and other calamities is how they live to be up to 2,000 years old.
Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902, earning its designation as a California Historical Landmark. Its original 3,800 acres (15 km2) have been increased over the years to over 18,000 acres (73 km2). It is part of the Northern California coastal forests ecoregion and is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. It contains 10,800 acres (44 km2) of old-growth forest, as well as recovering redwood forest, with mixed conifer, oaks, chaparral and riparian habitats.
