Lightning Caused Forest Fires In Sedona Arizona

While out photographing thunderstorm cloud formation I noticed a forest fire up in the high country north of Sedona Arizona USA. So I hung around for a while and decided to photograph the smoke interacting with the red rock canyons.

Early evening sunlight found its way into and around the area creating some beautiful and colorful effects.

I later discovered that this was actually two fires about two miles apart. The Rhino and Platypus fires were lightning caused and started about a week earlier.

The beneficial side of lightning caused forest fires is that the process of burn and new growth rejuvenation is a very forest healthy natural cycle.

These fires are burning in the Coconino National Forest and are only about eight miles north of town but because of the remoteness, dangerous rugged terrain and lack of danger to humans the US Forest Service is letting them burn to aid in forest rejuvenation.

The smoke helps create some colorful thunderstorm cloud formation.

Four days later I went back and captured a final shot.

And then not to my surprise the following day a large wet thunderstorm passed over that area and extinguished the fires. This completes the cycle. Fires were started and then ended by different storms. That's natures perfection!