Thousands fight wildfires threatening California’s sequoias

THREE RIVERS, Calif. (AP) — Growing armies of firefighters are battling wildfires in the heart of California’s sequoia country. A big increase in personnel put more than 1,400 firefighters on the lines of the KNP Complex fire in Sequoia National Park on Wednesday. The fire remains a threat to the park’s famed Giant Forest. But the weather is expected to clear out smoke and allow aircraft to begin operations against the flames. The fire earlier entered a portion of the Giant Forest, but none of its famous gigantic trees were harmed. To the south, the Windy Fire has grown to 49 square miles in the Giant Sequoia National Monument area of Sequoia National Forest, with 7% containment. Nearly 1,300 firefighters are now assigned to the blaze.