The fire started as much as a week earlier when lighting stuck in the high country of Yosemite National Park. A week later hot conditions and high winds blew the shouldering tree into a full blow forest fire that quickly cross the Little Yosemite Valley and the south fork of the Merced River famous for its Vernal and Nevada waterfalls. The flames began climbing the cliffs forcing park rangers to evacuate a number of trails and helicopters to lift everyone off the top of Half Dome. As evening fell a full moon rose over the peaks to the south and illuminated the clouds from above while the fires illuminated the smoke and clouds from below. The sight was one of the more impressive views of Yosemite. This destruction is normal and long been part of Yosemite's history. The California drought made the fire worse than it normally would have been and the recovery will be slow but it will happen.