10K sequoia trees require removal in California following wildfires

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks announced Friday there are around 10,000 sequoia trees that will need to be removed from the area in California.

The trees have been weakened either from age, drought, disease, wildfires or a combination of these factors.

The 10,000 trees are located along the Generals Highway and have the potential to fall on people, cars, other structures or cause hazardous conditions for emergency services, according to the statement.

The current crews working on removing the trees have been “strategically placed” so safe travel lanes can be made for motorists to travel. Other roads will continue to be closed until the trees are cleared.

Along with the sequoias near the highway, there are more trees in the backcountry that require removal. The park did not say how many trees in the backcountry were potentially hazardous. 

The highway has already been closed for weeks due to the Kings Canyon National Parks Complex fire that started Sept. 10 and continues to burn. Sixty percent of the fire is contained.

The fire was started by lightning and has devastated more than 88,000 acres.

Firefighters worked to save all the trees they could by wrapping the base of trees in fire-resistant material, putting fire retardant gel on the trees and clearing vegetation, The Associated Press reported.

The efforts of the firefighters helped save the General Sherman Tree, considered the world’s largest tree by volume.

However, officials earlier in October said hundreds of giant sequoias may have been killed by wildfires this season but it could take months to see the extent of the damage.

Updated at 6:20 p.m.