One Tiny Owl: Otherworldly Photos From California’s Woolsey Fire

When Los Angeles Times photographer Wally Skalij photographed a tiny owl sitting on the beach in Malibu as the flames of the Woolsey Fire burned in the background, he had no idea how many people would connect with the image.

Since the Times published the photo, it’s been shared thousands of times on social media. The owl and other photos Skalij made — three llamas tied to a lifeguard stand, a father and daughter sifting through the ashes of their home, a firefighter peering over a concrete wall as a torrent of flames rises in front of him — are eerie and otherworldly, capturing the surreal nature of a world consumed by fire.

At least 82 people have died throughout California since the Woolsey Fire and the Camp Fire in northern California broke out earlier this month, destroying at least 250,000 acres of land. As of Tuesday, more than 600 people are still missing.