2022 in pictures: wildfires threatened world's oldest trees at Yosemite National Park

250 acres of park land were burnt very quickly

Officials were confident disaster could be averted

World's oldest trees were at risk

Some of the world's oldest sequoia trees were in danger in July, 2022 at California's Yosemite National Park, which was scorched by a wildfire.

The fire expanded quickly

Over the weekend of July 23-24, the wildfire expanded five-fold, making authorities very nervous about the state of Yosemite Park.

1,600 acres burned by Sunday

By Sunday, July 24, the wildfire had burned up almost 1,600 acres or 648 hectares of brush and timber in the park's southern region.

Fire started in the Mariposa Grove

The fire was first reported on Thursday, July 7, on the Washburn Trail of the Mariposa Grove, home of the Giant Sequoias.

250 acres of park land were burnt very quickly

By July 21, it had already scorched 250 acres of parkland, and the adjacent Indigenous community of Wawona was evacuated.

The Grove had to be closed

Once the fire was reported, National Park Service staff immediately closed Mariposa Grove.

Majestic, ancient trees

Mariposa Grove is home to more than 500 giant sequoia trees. The majestic sequoia can grow to more than 250 feet.

Trees that are over 2000 years old

Mariposa grove was founded in 1857 however, the trees existed long before that, with some believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

Southern entrance also shut

According to Park Service spokesperson Nancy Phillipe, the southern entrance to Yosemite was shut down, which usually draws 4 million visitors a year.

So much smoke

The volume of smoke caused by the fire prompted air quality alerts throughout the park and blurred the famous views Yosemite is known for.

Unhealthy air

Federal wildfire officials on July 23 warned that air quality for particulate matter had reached unhealthy levels across much of the park.

Yosemite Valley remained open

Firefighters did their best to contain the wildfire, and Yosemite Valley, one of the park's best-known attractions, remained open to visitors from the western entrance.

But not the best time to visit

However, visitors had to put up with soot, smoke, and hazy views of park favorites such as Bridalveil Falls or the Half Dome.

The sequoias are safe for now

According to Phillipe, despite the extremely dry and hot weather, the fire did not destroy any of the ancient sequoias.

Firefighters saved the beautiful trees

CNN reported that public information officer Robbie Johnson said that the fire "has entered the grove, but the good news is because of prescribed burns and clearing out material on the ground, it's clear in the Mariposa Grove."

Working around the clock

Firefighters worked around the clock to clear undergrowth and protect the grove, in addition to using a ground-based sprinkler system to dampen the flames.

Officials were confident disaster could be averted

Phillipe told Reuter, "We're feeling confident of the plan we have in place today." In the end none of the ancient trees were damaged and nobody was injured.