AD“That helped just to slow the intensity of the fire as it approached the site,” Crust told Australian Broadcasting Corp. New South Wales state Environment Minister Matt Kean said the operation had saved the stand, although some plants had been singed. The fire also destroyed 90% of the 5,000-hectare (12,400-acre) Wollemi National Park, where the rare trees grow, Crust said. 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.

Source: Washington Post January 16, 2020 06:00 UTC