#24 California, Grant Grove

The California Tree is 25.2 feet in diameter at the ground, 22.3 feet diameter at chest height, and 249 feet tall. One of the larger trees in Grant Grove, it is actually shorter than it was when first discovered. It was struck by lightning in August 1967 and lost approx 25 feet of height in the resulting fire that burned in its top. A firefighter, park ranger Charlie Castro, climbed a nearby tree and then crossed by rope to the California in order to use a hose to put out the fire in its top.