The Georges Fire burns last night near Mt Whitney Portal Road in the Eastern Sierras just Northwest of Lone Pine, CA. The fire was allegedly started by lightning after hundreds of ground strikes were reported in the area. The fire is at 2,000+ acres with 0% containment and evacuations of the Mt Whitney Portal area, including campgrounds.

No new hikers are being allowed in to summit the peak, and I’d imagine any climbers coming down from overnighters will be encouraged to hustle to the valley floor once they reach the parking lot.

The fuels in the area are extremely dry and the fire is well-established on the eastern facing slopes moving uphill in incredibly steep terrain. Take a moment to thank wildland firefighters like @greggboydston (check him out on Instagram!) who worked all night on the fire during initial attack to combat the blaze amidst a boatload of bugs like flying ants, mosquitos, and other creepy crawlies.

This was the first fire I photographed in the Eastern Sierras and the stars were incredible. Looking forward to sharing more images form this fire with you. Some of these recent images will be featured in my upcoming photography exhibit on September 1st!