Photos of the Lodge Fire by Mark McKenna

Go deep into the heart of the Lodge Fire as photographer Mark McKenna captures the sweat and heat of a firefighter’s day deep into the thickly wooded mountains of northern Mendocino.

Then, jump to the front lines of the Lodge Fire as it roars through treetops and through forest duff to lap thirstily at the algae thickened edges of the Eel River.

Fire crews return to the Lodge Fire Incident Camp just north of the Northern California Town of Laytonville. The fire was started by lightning strikes Wednesday, July 30 and has burned approximately 11,300 acres and is currently 50% contained.

The northern side of the Lodge Fire began to flare up as winds increased during the afternoon.