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Firefighters have wrapped the world's largest tree and others in a fire-resistant blanket in order to protect it from the wildfires burning in California's Sierra Nevada on Thursday, September 16.
According to the Associated Press, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest, several other trees, the Giant Forest Museum, and other buildings in the area were wrapped in aluminum as protection against the flames.
The aluminum wrapping can withstand intensive head for short periods and federal officials say they have used the material for several years to protect sensitive structures from flames.
Some homes near Lake Tahoe were wrapped in the material and survived a recent wildfire while unwrapped homes were destroyed, reports AP.
The Colony Fire, which is one of two fires burning in Sequoia National Park, was expected to reach the Giant Forest which houses 2,000 sequoias.
According to AP, it was unclear if that actually happened on Thursday night. The fires forced an evacuation of the park and parts of Three Rivers this week.
The General Sherman Tree is the largest in the world by volume, at 52,508 cubic feet, and is 275 feet high with a circumference of 103 feet at ground level, according to the National Park Service.