米ヨセミテ国立公園でまた山火事　セコイア防護に５００人出動

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米カリフォルニア州のヨセミテ国立公園で今年も山火事が発生した。１１日にはジャイアントセコイアの巨木群を守るため、消防隊員５００人超が投入された。（写真は米カリフォルニア州ヨセミテ国立公園で消火活動に当たる消防隊員）
　公園によると、世界的に有名なジャイアントセコイアの森「マリポサグローブ」で７日、火災の発生が確認された。延焼規模は週末にかけて２倍に広がり、約９．５平方キロに及んでいる。
　消防当局によると、消防隊員５４５人が消火活動に当たっている。５００本超のジャイアントセコイアが自生しているマリポサグローブでは、消防隊員が燃えやすい葉や枝などを切り落としたり、地面や木自体に水をかけたりしている。
　火災は現時点で４分の１が消し止められたが、高温・乾燥天候が今後数日続くと予想されており、消火は手間取るとみられる。
　カリフォルニア州など米西部では昨年、地球温暖化や度重なる干ばつの影響で大規模な山火事が相次いで発生。同州では直径１２０センチ以上のジャイアントセコイア３６００本が焼失した。
　２０２０年には、世界中に自生しているジャイアントセコイアの最大１４％に相当する１万本が同州の山火事で失われている。
　カリフォルニア州森林保護防火局によると、今年はすでに３５００件以上の山火事が報告され、被害は推定９２．７平方キロに及んでいる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/07/12-12:58）

Hundreds of firefighters scrambled Monday to prevent a wildfire engulfing an area of rare giant sequoia trees in California's Yosemite National Park.
The Washburn fire, in the world-renowned Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, was first reported on July 7 and doubled in size over the weekend to 2,340 acres (946 hectares), according to a park report.
Yosemite's fire management service said 545 firefighters were battling the fire, including proactively protecting the grove -- the largest group of sequoias in Yosemite, with over 500 mature trees.
The previously out-of-control blaze is now 25 percent contained, but the weather is expected to remain hot and dry for the next few days -- conditions that do not help efforts to curb the flames.
We are doing everything we can to put this fire out, including deploying air tankers and helicopters along with ground crews, Nancy Phillipe, spokeswoman for Yosemite Fire Information, told AFP.
At the Mariposa Grove -- which remains closed to the public due to the fire -- crews worked to remove quick-burning leaves, sticks and branches as well as drenching the ground and giant sequoias. Large plumes of gray-white smoke were seen over the imposing trees.
The Yosemite fire service tweeted footage of emergency sprinklers set up specifically to douse the grove's Grizzly Giant -- the most renowned sequoia in the park, which is the second largest tree in Yosemite at 209 feet (63 meters), and one of the oldest.
Phillipe said the response team was feeling confident that we've set up the trees for as much protection as we can with the recent efforts, aided by previous prescribed burns.
- 'A long season' -
Giant sequoias are the world's largest trees by volume. Their relatives, the California redwoods, can grow taller -- well over 100 meters -- but are not as wide.
Both species of tree are adapted to fires, with thick bark that protects them from heat and flames.
In their lifetimes, which are measured in thousands of years, they typically endure many fires, the heat from which helps their cones to open, allowing the seeds to disperse.
But longer, hotter and more aggressive fires can damage them, sometimes irreparably, and California has recently seen multiple severe fire seasons in a row.
Scientists say global warming, which is being driven chiefly by humanity's unchecked burning of fossil fuels, is making extreme weather events more likely.
Last year, California and other parts of the western United States were ravaged by huge, hot and fast-moving wildfires, driven by years of drought and a warming climate.
Two of those fires in California burned 3,600 giant sequoias, each more than four feet (120 centimeters) in diameter.
The year before, 10,000 of the giants -- up to 14 percent of the world's total -- perished in another fire.
With drought and scorching temperatures, fire chiefs have warned of longer and longer fire seasons.
More than 3,500 fires have been reported already by California state firefighters CalFire in 2022, burning an estimated 22,900 acres.
It is only just the beginning of July, said Phillipe, echoing concern at the lengthening seasons.
Every year we say 'wow this is going to be a long season,' and the seasons are lasting longer and longer.