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Firefighters Blowing Up Dead Trees To Eliminate Fuel For Fork Fire

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) - Firefighters in the Sierra are using explosives to safely bring down trees.

It may sound crazy and a little dangerous, but that's what firefighting crews are doing as they continue to battle the Fork Fire in El Dorado County.

An Eldorado National Forest spokesperson says "fireline explosives" are being used to topple thousands of dead trees that are still standing after the King Fire back in 2014.

They say the trees are too unstable to cut down with a chainsaw, so instead, they strap the explosives around the trunk and blow them up.

 

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