California firefighters gained ground Monday in the battle against a wildfire that poses a threat to a grove of giant sequoias and a small community in Yosemite National Park.
to save one of earth s natural treasures. extreme heat and low humidity fuelling the washburn fire in yosemite national park. home to hundreds of iconic towering sequoia trees. when you see fire conditions like this, what is the biggest threat. we re trying to keep the fire from climbing the trees. more than 500 firefighters trying to protect these giants, clearing bone dry vegetation and running sprinklers to keep flames at bay. the fire fight here is literally going tree top to tree top. this crew is trying to put out hot spots before it jumps to the other side of the fire break. fire s edge is active. reporter: the fire s outer rim forcing the closure of yosemite s popular south entrance and the evacuation of some 1600 people from nearby homes and hotels. fames mariposa grove is a top tourist spot for its sequoias. some of the tallest and oldest trees in the planet. the iconic grizzly giant first