California's Ancient Redwoods Face New Challenge From Wildfires And Warming Climate

"After this year's historic wildfires, California's oldest state park — Big Basin Redwoods — looks more like a logging village than an iconic hiking and camping mecca."

"There's a near constant buzz of chainsaws. Rumblings from trucks and logging skidders fill the air as crews busily cut charred, fallen trees and chop down "hazard trees" rangers worry will topple on to the park's roadways."

"It's estimated the wildfire, awkwardly named the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, burned through 97% of Big Basin's more than 18,000 acres, scorching its 4,400 acres of ancient redwoods and obliterating most of the park's infrastructure for camping and recreation."

"'All of the historic structures in the park, totally destroyed, save one residence,' Joanne Kerbavaz says. The California state park senior environmental scientist is standing in ashes and bits of charred beams. This is where a log-cabin-like visitors center and museum once stood, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the New Deal."

"It's truly tragic from the perspective of all of the generations of people who grew up coming here and enjoying this," she says.