Hope after wildfire: Tiny sequoias could grow into giants

By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press

SEQUOIA CREST, Calif. (AP) — Tiny giant sequoia seedlings have been planted in a California community where wildfire destroyed homes and the massive trees. The nonprofit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive last week led an unusual effort to replace torched sequoias with offspring from some of the world’s oldest and largest trees. The group, which collects the genetics of the world’s most significant trees, planted 150 trees devastated by last year’s Castle Fire. Extraordinary measures have been taken to protect the big trees from intense fires that wiped out more than 10% of their population last year. At least hundreds more sequoias died in fires this year, but the tally is incomplete.