10 Devastating Pictures Of The Deadly Wildfires In California

California's recent spate of wildfires isn't over yet, but already the smoke is clearing to reveal a newly charred and barren landscape.

By
Jim Dalrymple II
by Jim Dalrymple II

BuzzFeed News Reporter

1. Fires in San Diego County destroyed dozens of homes in the cities of Carlsbad, Escondido, San Marcos, and elsewhere.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Jeff Buchanan waters the scorched earth around a neighbor's house that burned to the ground during a wildfire Thursday in Escondido.

2. Thousands were evacuated as the flames edged closer to their homes.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Houses sit untouched above a canyon ravaged by wildfire Friday in Carlsbad.

3. Fire officials said California's drought set the stage for the fires.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Jeff Buchanan waters the scorched earth around a neighbor's house that burned to the ground during a wildfire Thursday in Escondido.

4. Even as crews stamped out some fires, others sprang up nearby, including four at Camp Pendleton alone.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

A helicopter transporting water flies over trees during a wildfire Thursday in Escondido.

5. By Friday, about a dozen different fires had scorched more than 20,000 acres.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

People look over a canyon ravaged by wildfire Friday in Carlsbad.

6. Most evacuations were ending by Friday.

AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Firefighter Philip Pinal, of Cal-Fire Lions Valley, searches for burning embers in a devastated home after a wildfire Friday in Carlsbad.

7. The fires also destroyed several commercial buildings.

AP Photo/UT San Diego, John Gibbins

The charred remains of the Sound-Elkin business smolder after being hit by wildfires in Carlsbad.

8. The Poinsettia fire, which hit Carlsbad, was mostly contained Friday, though the Cocos Fire in nearby San Marcos continued to rage.

AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi

Greg Saska moves a vase that he brought back from Italy with his foot as he stands outside his home that was destroyed by wildfire Thursday in Carlsbad.

9. Though the fires burned mostly in San Diego County, they created smokey air throughout Southern California.

AP Photo/Nick Ut

A smoky haze obscures the Los Angeles skyline Friday May 16.

10. With dry conditions and plenty of dead brush, fire officials say California's fire season will likely be extraordinarily active in 2014.

AP Photo

Jack Elkins looks at his backyard fruit trees, ravaged by wildfire Tuesday, May 13, in San Diego.

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