Raging wildfires throughout California in Stunning Pictures -National Geographic

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Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Meadow Fire burns overnight near Half Dome in Yosemite National Park on September 8, 2014. The Meadow Fire was one of thousands of fires to burn in California in 2014, from the Mexican border to the border with Oregon in a deadly wildland fire season.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

Fire crews hike with chainsaws, axes, and pulaskis work along a firing operation at the Border Fire in San Diego County on June 23rd, 2016. Firing operations are designed to ignite brush in front of the main fire on firefighter's terms, depriving the main body of fire fuel when it reaches the burned area from the firing operation.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Lake Fire burns in the San Bernardino National Forest Friday June 19, 2015. By evening the fire burned over 13,000 acres and was 10% contained.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

Embers fly off from trees burned earlier in the day at the Etiwanda Fire near Rancho Cucamonga, California on April 30, 2014. Strong Santa Ana Winds generated wind gusts in excess of 90 mph.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Rocky Fire burns overnight near the town of Clear Lake, California on July 30, 2015. Hot and dry weather caused the fire to burn actively at night, threatening homes and downing power lines. At least three home were destroyed.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

A Cal Fire inmate fire crew rests briefly after driving over 500 miles to the Border Fire near Campo, California on June 21, 2016. The crew drove straight to the fire and immediately went to work in 100-degree desert heat cutting fireline, and continued to monitor the fire overnight.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The El Portal Fire burns in Yosemite National Park July 26, 2014. The fire burned near the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, forcing closure of parts the park to tourists during the peak summer travel months.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Lake Fire burns in San Bernardino County on June 24, 2015 after coming back to life and burning thousands more acres.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The North fire burns in San Bernardino County early Saturday morning July 18, 2015. The fire burned approximately 3,500 acres and was 35% contained.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Manzanita Fire burns near the city of Beaumont in Riverside County, California on June 26, 2017. By midnight the fire was approximately 5,000 acres and 10% contained.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Sherpa Fire burns late Thursday evening and early Friday morning June 16 and 17, 2016 near El Capitan.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

Firefighters spray down hotspots and embers at the Cristianitos Fire in San Clemente, June 28, 2017. To protect the houses firefighters engaged in a firing operation, where fire is deliberately started in front of the main body of fire in order to deprived the main fire of fuel. The firing operation was successful and the homes were saved.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Whittier Fire burns through the Los Padres National Forest above Santa Barbara and Goleta, California on July 8, 2017. The Whittier Fire spotted and burned over a large firebreak, center, created to protect the communities of Santa Barbara and Goleta.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Erskine Fire burns a home, trailer, vehicles and outbuildings off Kelso Valley Road near Lake Isabella and Kernville, California on June 24, 2016.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

A destroyed vehicle off CA 175 after the Valley Fire burned through on September 14, 2015.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Border Fire burns near Campo and Potrero in San Diego County, California on June 22, 2016. The fire was 15% contained and had burned approximately 6,500 acres.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

A night-flying aircraft flies over the Shirley Fire in the Sequoia National forest near Lake Isabella, California on June 14, 2014.


Photograph by Stuart Palley

The Sand Fire burns in the Angeles National Forest Saturday July 23rd, 2016 under triple digit heat. The fire had burned 20,000 acres by that evening and was 10% contained as firefighters battled low humidity, shifting wind, and high temperatures.