Josh Edelson, Freelancer, United States of America
California is no stranger to wildfires, but 2021 brought far more destructive fires as well as planet-warming carbon dioxide than in any other summer in nearly two decades.
This wildfire season in California was extraordinary and produced thousands of fires — including one that, at nearly a million acres burned, is the largest single fire in state history. That fire alone sent smoke across the entire United States.
Our changing climate is fueling wildfires in ways that make it almost impossible for firefighters to keep up. It is presenting a global climate impact by releasing planet-warming carbon dioxide, leaving thousands without homes, killing off wildlife and changing our environment state-wide.
This series is a combination of some of my best shots from the 2021 wildfire season in California.