For all of the technological and scientific advancements we’ve made as a species, there are still some areas in which nature will get the best of us.  The awful and awe-inspiring forces that exist around us are not to be trifled with, and no amount of bandwidth is going to change that.

And so, when the world’s largest tree found itself in the crosshairs of one of California’s most explosive wildfires, authorities turned to an old-fashioned trick to try and keep it safe.

Firefighters wrapped the base of the world’s largest tree in a fire-resistant blanket as they tried to save a famous grove of gigantic old-growth sequoias from wildfires burning in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada.

The colossal General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest, some other sequoias, the Giant Forest Museum and other buildings were wrapped for protection against the possibility of intense flames, fire spokeswoman Rebecca Paterson said.

And there is a history of this sort of thing working.

The aluminum wrapping can withstand intensive heat for short periods. Federal officials say they have been using the material for several years throughout the U.S. West to protect sensitive structures from flames. Near Lake Tahoe, some homes that were wrapped in protective material survived a recent wildfire while others nearby were destroyed.

The execution of the plan does give an outwardly awkward appearance, however.

The Biggest Tree in the World, the General Sherman, raked and wrapped in preparation for the incoming #KNPComplex fire. Sequoia National Park pic.twitter.com/EpVkaYvimE

— Yosemite Steve (@YosemiteSteve) September 17, 2021

These giant sequoias have been targeted several times by wildfires in recent years, as California continues to face worsening weather.

For all of the technological and scientific advancements we’ve made as a species, there are still some areas in which nature will get the best of us.  The awful and awe-inspiring forces that exist around us are not to be trifled with, and no amount of bandwidth is going to change that. And so, when the world’s largest tree found itself in the crosshairs of one of California’s most explosive wildfires, authorities turned to an old-fashioned trick to try and keep it safe. Firefighters wrapped the base of the world’s largest tree in a fire-resistant blanket as they tried to save a famous grove of gigantic old-growth sequoias from wildfires burning in California’s rugged Sierra Nevada. The colossal General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest, some other sequoias, the Giant Forest Museum and other buildings were wrapped for protection against the possibility of intense flames, fire spokeswoman Rebecca Paterson said. And there is a history of this sort of thing working. The aluminum wrapping can withstand intensive heat for short periods. Federal officials say they have been using the material for several years throughout the U.S. West to protect sensitive structures from flames. Near Lake Tahoe, some homes that were wrapped in protective material survived a recent wildfire while others nearby were destroyed. The execution of the plan does give an outwardly awkward appearance, however. https://twitter.com/YosemiteSteve/status/1438727367153700869?s=20 These giant sequoias have been targeted several times by wildfires in recent years, as California continues to face worsening weather.

Out there, somewhere, is Gabby Petito.

The young woman has been missing for weeks now, after disappearing during a cross-country, social-media-heavy trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie.  Now, Laundrie is back home in Florida, refusing to cooperate with police investigating her disappearance.

Now, in an even stranger turn of events, police are now admitting that a double homicide in Moab, Utah is being investigated as a potential connection to Gabby Petito going missing.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that it is “actively looking into any connection” between a double homicide of newlyweds at a campground outside Moab last month and the recent disappearance of Gabby Petito.

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“The Sheriff’s Office is not ruling anything out at this time and appreciate the concerns of the public and their willingness to contact this office with those concerns and information,” the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The newlyweds, 38-year-old Crystal Turner and 24-year-old Kylen Schulte, were found shot to death at a campground southeast of Moab on Aug. 18, five days after they were last seen leaving a downtown bar.

Bridget Calvert, Schulte’s aunt, told KUTV that the couple complained about a “creepy guy” who was making them uncomfortable in their campsite just days before the double homicide.

Protesters hoping to convince Laundrie to cooperate with police have begun to inundate his Florida neighborhood, as the family stays mum on the subject.

Petito’s parents have made several public calls for the Laundries to share what they know, but to no avail.

Out there, somewhere, is Gabby Petito. The young woman has been missing for weeks now, after disappearing during a cross-country, social-media-heavy trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie.  Now, Laundrie is back home in Florida, refusing to cooperate with police investigating her disappearance. Now, in an even stranger turn of events, police are now admitting that a double homicide in Moab, Utah is being investigated as a potential connection to Gabby Petito going missing. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that it is “actively looking into any connection” between a double homicide of newlyweds at a campground outside Moab last month and the recent disappearance of Gabby Petito. “The Sheriff’s Office is not ruling anything out at this time and appreciate the concerns of the public and their willingness to contact this office with those concerns and information,” the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The newlyweds, 38-year-old Crystal Turner and 24-year-old Kylen Schulte, were found shot to death at a campground southeast of Moab on Aug. 18, five days after they were last seen leaving a downtown bar. Bridget Calvert, Schulte’s aunt, told KUTV that the couple complained about a “creepy guy” who was making them uncomfortable in their campsite just days before the double homicide. Protesters hoping to convince Laundrie to cooperate with police have begun to inundate his Florida neighborhood, as the family stays mum on the subject. Petito’s parents have made several public calls for the Laundries to share what they know, but to no avail.