The moon rises behind heavy smoke on the western side of Shirley Mountain as the French Fire grows, destroying homes and properties amid record wildfires and worsening drought conditions across the West on August 22, 2021 near Wofford Heights, California. Large portions of the West are now classified as being in "exceptional drought", the most extreme drought category.
The French wildfire in Kern County is now one of the largest wildfires actively burning in the state. It has been burning in the Lake Isabella area for a week and is now at 20,678 acres and 19% contained.