In exploring the "duality between creation and destruction," Jeff Frost has chased and documented more than 70 of California's wildfires over the past six years. Last year alone the state saw 6 of its 20 largest fires in the state's history. It's no secret that climate change is a key ingredient as wildfire frequency increases. As Frost says, "Climate change has a body count … We're already in the crisis. It's not in the future."

Frost's work can be seen in Facing Fire: Art, Wildfire, and the End of Nature in the New West, currently on view at the California Museum of Photography through August 15, 2021.

To find out more about California wildfires be sure to watch World War Zero's discussion around this topic between Dr. Alex Hall (Professor and Director of the Center for Climate Science at UCLA) and Dr. Mustafa Santiago (Strategist, Policymaker and Activist).

Additional Information:

• California Fire Map
• LA Times California Wildfires Map
• New York Times: "Why Does California Have So Many Wildfires?" (July 16, 2021)
• World Economic Forum: Wildfires in the Western US (June 1, 2021)
• New York Times: Wildfires in the West articles
• The Guardian: "Giant sequoia found still smoldering after 2020 California wildfire" (May 6, 2021)
• The Guardian: "California poised for a catastrophic fire season" (April 14, 2021)
• Esquire: "Burnt" (December 15, 2020)
• New York Times: "Record Wildfires on the West Coast Are Capping a Disastrous Decade" (September 24, 2020)
• BBC: "California wildfires: This is how mind-bogglingly huge they are" (September 10, 2020)

All photos courtesy Jeff Frost.