Australia firefighters save world's only rare dinosaur trees
Source: AP
By ROD McGUIRK
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Specialist firefighters have saved the world’s last remaining wild stand of a prehistoric tree from wildfires that razed forests west of Sydney, officials said Thursday.
Firefighters winched from helicopters to reach the cluster of fewer than 200 Wollemi Pines in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains a week before a massive wildlife bore down, National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust said.
The firefighters set up an irrigation system to keep the so-called dinosaur trees moist and pumped water daily from the gorge as the blaze that had burned out of control for more than two month edged closer.
Firefighting planes strategically bombed the fire front with fire retardant to slow its progress.
Read more: https://apnews.com/3566ab33b140372eaa1c8c61abbb5b06
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Bravo Firefighters!
