West Marin fire destroys ancient redwood tree at park

An old-growth redwood known as the Pioneer Tree burned down Thursday in Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Marin County Fire Department Battalion Chief Bret Mctigue said Friday morning that the cause remains under investigation.

Mctigue said fire crews were dispatched to the park at 11:28 a.m. Thursday. The fire was discovered by an off-duty parks officer.

When crews arrived, they found the fire burning inside of the tree and climbing upward.

One water tender, three engines and one battalion chief from the Marin

County Fire Department and one Cal Fire crew were tasked with fighting the fire, which was contained within the area of the tree.

Mctigue said crews were in the area overnight Thursday and Friday morning to mop up the aftermath of the blaze.

The tree is located on the eponymous Pioneer Tree Trail.

According to the Samuel P. Taylor State Park website, the trail was temporarily closed. It noted that the tree was “fully engulfed in flames” during the incident, but that the blaze was contained to a half-acre area. The report said there were no evacuations, impacted campers or injuries.

The fire department said the tree was 8 feet in diameter. It fell during the fire and created a burn area of 100 feet by 40 feet.

The Pioneer Tree was estimated to be approximately 500 years old and was likely spared by loggers in the late 1800s because it was hollow. It was known as a roosting spot for bats.

A State Parks press release said the tree was approximately 200 feet tall and was one of the park’s few remaining old growth coastal redwoods. It was hollowed by previous wildfires in the area, but its root system was nourished by younger generations of redwoods.

“State Parks is devastated by the loss of this much beloved redwood tree,” said California State

Parks Director Armando Quintero, a San Rafael resident. “I saw the collapsed tree in person and know how much it pains all of us who treasure these ancient giants who have lived thousands of years.”

Samuel P. Taylor State Park is on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard west of Lagunitas. It is named for Samuel Penfield Taylor, who purchased 100 acres in western Marin County and founded the first paper mill on the west coast, the Pioneer Paper Mill Company. The park was opened in 1946.