(Bloomberg) -- An out-of-control wildfire in California's Yosemite National Park is threatening some of the region's most famous giant sequoia trees.
The Washburn Fire has spread to more than 2,300 acres (931 hectares) since it was reported Thursday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. It wasn't controlled at all as of Sunday and firefighters are battling to protect the park's Mariposa Grove, which includes more than 500 mature giant sequoias.
With hot, dry conditions expected Monday and throughout the week, the fire is expected to spread. It's burning in difficult terrain with abundant fuel, which will make it especially difficult to fight. Wildfires are becoming a more significant threat in the US West because of climate change and drought.
Mariposa is Yosemite's largest sequoia grove and includes the 209-foot (64-meter) Grizzly Giant. The park's second-biggest tree has an estimated age of about 2,700 years. The area was one of the first in the US to receive federal protection under legislation signed in 1864 by President Abraham Lincoln.
Officials have not determined the cause of the fire and the grove has been evacuated and closed.
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