The North Bay Fires in Photos

As wildfires raged in August, The Press Democrat's photographers captured the fight against the flames, the flight of evacuees and the plight of the community.


As wildfires raged in August, The Press Democrat photographers John Burgess, Christopher Chung, Alvin Jornada, Kent Porter and Beth Schlanker worked tirelessly to document the destruction and the efforts to contain the fires.

In one moment, just behind the fire line, they captured the dreadful, yet insidiously haunting flames and the firefighters’ valiant efforts to protect us from them — in another, they turned their lenses to the flight of the evacuees.

In more intimate scenes, we see sheltered people and animals, prepared community members, and those who have lost their homes. Finally, there are glimpses of hope — the arrival of air tankers, a neighborhood and trees saved, and signs that containment is near. 

Click through the gallery to see some of the images.