Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park has more than doubled in size since Saturday afternoon.

The U.S. is weathering another very active year for fires. In California, firefighters are working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees. The blaze is near the iconic grove of about 500 mature sequoias, which are the world’s biggest trees by volume.

The rest of the park is open but smoke hangs over some of its most iconic views. In Utah, smoke from a 5.9-square-mile blaze has blown into Salt Lake City. And investigators say four men started another Utah blaze that topped 12 square miles after the group abandoned a camp fire.