Mariposa Grove, home to many of Yosemite National Park’s famous giant sequoias, reopened to the public earlier this month. The section had been closed due to the 4,886-acre Washburn fire that raged nearby. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, “the Washburn fire ignited July 7 along a forested trail in Yosemite National Park and initially caused fears of an environmental catastrophe, threatening the grove’s ancient trees. However, firefighters were able to attack the blaze early on, with no damage to structures or injuries, and major damage to the grove was averted. 

‘I’ve been through dozens of fires over my career and this one was just phenomenal. I’ve never seen such outpouring of support and care among visitors and firefighters,’ Gediman said. ‘The whole region really came together to save the Mariposa Grove.’

There are fire scars on some trees, but no sequoias died, Gediman said. He also noted that because some of these trees are 2,000 to 3,000 years old and have seen a lot of fires, it’s difficult to determine which blaze caused the scars.”

You can visit the park’s official site for more information on hours and availability.  

For more on the reopening, visit here.