The giant prehistoric trees were thought to be extinct until 1994, when authorities found 200 of them in a national park near the Blue Mountains north-west of Sydney. As the fire approached, firefighters were winched in by helicopter to activate the irrigation systems while other aircraft dropped water along the flames' edge to minimize their impact. "While some trees are charred, the species has survived this summer's fires," New South Wales state Environment Minister Matt Kean said. Bushfires are common during Australia's summer but this fire season started unusually early. The blazes have killed 29 people, destroyed more than 2,500 homes and killed or injured an estimated 1 billion native animals, wildlife academics say.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 15, 2020 11:48 UTC