One of world's tallest trees on fire in Oregon

Authorities in Oregon are trying to extinguish a fire that is burning in one of the world’s tallest trees.

The Doerner Fir, a coastal Douglas Fir tree over 325 feet tall and estimated to be over 450 years old, has been burning since Saturday in Coos County in Oregon’s Coast Range. An infrared drone flight on Tuesday showed no active flames or smoke at the top of the tree, but it detected heat within a cavity in the tree trunk some 280 feet high.

Figuring out how to approach the tree from the side to douse the cavity with water has been a challenge. Various options have been discussed, including building scaffolding or climbing adjacent trees for better positioning, or letting it smolder and monitoring to see if it reignites.

Crews remained on-site Tuesday and a helicopter was on standby in case of needed water drops.

The Coos Forest Protective Association said Monday that helicopter bucket drops had reduced fire activity near the top of the tree. It added that sprinklers were placed at the base of the tree, where containment lines were also constructed to prevent further fire spread.

The fire may impact the tree’s standing in global height rankings. Officials said that about 50 feet has been lost from the top of the tree, and pieces are falling out.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Investigators with the Bureau of Land Management have ruled out lightning as a cause of the fire based on weather data. 



(Coos Bay District Bureau of Land Management)