Australia Firefighters Save World's Only Rare Dinosaur Trees
Share
CANBERRA, Australia — Specialist firefighters have saved the world’s last remaining wild stand of a prehistoric tree from wildfires that razed forests west of Sydney, officials said Thursday.
“The Wollemi Pine is a particularly important species and the fact that this is the only place in the world where they exist and they exist in such small numbers is really significant.” — National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust
Firefighters winched from helicopters to reach the cluster of fewer than 200 Wollemi Pines in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains a week before a massive wildlife bore down, National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust said.The firefighters set up an irrigation system to keep the so-called dinosaur trees moist and pumped water daily from the gorge as the blaze that had burned out of control for more than two month edged closer.
Firefighting planes strategically bombed the fire front with fire retardant to slow its progress.
“That helped just to slow the intensity of the fire as it approached the site,” Crust told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“The Wollemi Pine is a particularly important species and the fact that this is the only place in the world where they exist and they exist in such small numbers is really significant,” he added.
New South Wales state Environment Minister Matt Kean said the operation had saved the stand, although some plants had been singed.

The Fires Have Claimed at Least 28 Lives Since September
“These pines outlived the dinosaurs, so when we saw the fire approaching we realized we had to do everything we could to save them,” Kean said.
“These pines outlived the dinosaurs, so when we saw the fire approaching we realized we had to do everything we could to save them.” — New South Wales state Environment Minister Matt Kean
The Wollemi Pine had only been seen in its fossilized form and was thought long extinct before the stand was found in 1994.The fire that threatened it was brought under control this week after razing more than 1.26 million acres. The fire also destroyed 90% of the 5,000-hectare (12,400-acre) Wollemi National Park, where the rare trees grow, Crust said.
The exact location of the stand remains a closely guarded secret to help authorities protect the trees.
The Wollemi’s survival is one of the few positive stories to emerge from the unprecedented wildlife crisis in southeast Australia.
The fires have claimed at least 28 lives since September, destroyed more than 2,600 homes and razed more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres), mostly in New South Wales state. The area burned is larger than the U.S. state of Indiana.
But the fire danger has been diminished by rain this week in several areas. The first green buds of regrowth have already emerged in some blacked forests following rain.
[activecampaign form=29]
Fresno County Repeat DUI Offender Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Deadly Crash
Courts /
8 hours ago
Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban
Sports /
8 hours ago
Fresno Seals Deal with Police Union. No Deal Yet With Firefighters.
Politics /
9 hours ago
North Korea Says Trump Must Accept New Nuclear Reality
World /
9 hours ago
Fresno Home Suffers Major Damage in Saturday Night Fire, Family Cat Rescued
Local /
11 hours ago
Senator to Unveil Aviation Safety Bill on Eve of Fatal Crash Hearing
Politics /
11 hours ago
Fox Business News Host Throws Shade at Merced Over High-Speed Rail
Local /
11 hours ago
Trump Says He Turned Down Invitation to Epstein’s Island
U.S. /
11 hours ago
Two Arrested in Dollar General Burglary in Fowler, Third Suspect at Large
Two suspects are behind bars after a commercial burglary at a Dollar General in Fowler, the Fowler Police Department said on Monday.
Officer...
Local /
7 hours ago
Categories
Latest
Videos

Local /
7 hours ago
Two Arrested in Dollar General Burglary in Fowler, Third Suspect at Large

U.S. /
7 hours ago
New York City Mayor Says ‘Active Shooter’ Incident Taking Place in Manhattan

Crime /
8 hours ago
Shooting Outside Casino in Reno, Nevada, Leaves 3 Victims Dead, 2 Critically Wounded

Courts /
8 hours ago
Fresno County Repeat DUI Offender Sentenced to 15 Years to Life for Deadly Crash

Sports /
8 hours ago
Venezuelan Little League Team Denied Entry to US Over Travel Ban

Politics /
9 hours ago
Fresno Seals Deal with Police Union. No Deal Yet With Firefighters.

World /
9 hours ago