In a region that has seen the number of fires and acres burned rise in recent decades, the Bagley fire burned another 46,000 acres of forest in northern California. However, recently published research suggests the severity of fires in the area has remained steady.
In the last week of June 2008, California was the focal point of national fire activity. Over the first weekend of summer, record-breaking lightning activity in the state triggered hundreds of wildfires.
Acquired shortly before noon local time on September 22, 2009, this true-color image shows smoke from the Guiberson Fire blowing southwestward toward the Pacific coastline. A red outline gives the rough perimeter of the fire.