One of the oldest living organisms on this planet destroyed by fire

Imagine an organism that's been alive since before the pyramids were built. The fifth-oldest individual organism on Earth - a pond cypress tree in Florida was 3500 years old when destroyed last month by fire - apparently following a lightning strike.

It is surpassed by a bristlecone pine tree at 4842 years old. There was another one some 20 years older. But it was chopped down - unbelievably so that it's age could be determined!

This sorry story is told brilliantly in a podcast titled Oops from RadioLab.

Via DVice