Firefighters braced Sunday for strong winds that could push a raging wildfire further into the northwest edge of Yosemite National Park, threatening thousands of rural homes, AP reported. The massive blaze was also burning in the vicinity of two groves of giant sequoias that are unique the region, prompting park employees to take extra precautions of clearing brush and setting sprinklers. The towering trees, which grow only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and are among the largest and oldest living things on earth, can resist fire. However, dry conditions and heavy brush are forcing park officials to take extra precautions in the Tuolumne and Merced groves. About three dozen of the trees are affected. -- SPA 21:31 LOCAL TIME 18:31 GMT تغريد
