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Redwoods survive wildfire at California’s oldest state park

Fire burns in the hollow of an old-growth redwood tree in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calif., Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire tore through the park but most of the redwoods, some as old as 2,000 years, were still standing. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Fire burns in the hollow of an old-growth redwood tree in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calif., Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire tore through the park but most of the redwoods, some as old as 2,000 years, were still standing. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By MARTHA MENDOZA / The Associated Press 3 min read

BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (AP) – When a massive wildfire swept through California’s oldest state park last week it was feared many trees in a grove of old-growth redwoods, some of them 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth, may finally have succumbed.

But an Associated Press reporter and photographer hiked the renowned Redwood Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Monday and confirmed most of the ancient redwoods had withstood the blaze. Among the survivors is one dubbed Mother of the Forest.

“That is such good news, I can’t tell you how much that gives me peace of mind,” said Laura McLendon, conservation director for the Sempervirens Fund, an environmental group dedicated to the protection of redwoods and their habitats.

Redwood forests are meant to burn, she said, so reports earlier this week that the state park was “gone” were misleading.

The historic park headquarters is gone, as are many small buildings and campground infrastructure that went up in flames as fire swept through the park about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of San Francisco.