Overview

• Helicopter bucket drops reduced flames in the canopy and no active fire was seen at the top during Tuesday’s infrared survey.
• An infrared drone detected heat in a trunk cavity about 280 feet up, and crews are weighing side-access options while keeping a helicopter on standby.
• Firefighters installed sprinklers and containment lines at the base, and climbing operations are paused due to falling debris hazards.
• Roughly 50 feet of the crown has been lost to fire and falling pieces, which could affect the tree’s global height ranking.
• The Bureau of Land Management said lightning has been ruled out as the cause based on weather data, the site is closed to the public, and officials say the tree is not in immediate danger of burning through.