The Most Devastating Pictures From the Last 72 Hours of Fire in California

Update, July 29, 5:28 p.m. ET: A local official has confirmed that a sixth person was found dead in the Carr Fire, according to the Associated Press.

At least five people have been killed in northern California’s still-growing Carr Fire, including two children and their great-grandmother, as well as a firefighter and bulldoze operator fighting the flames. Twelve more people are missing. 

The blaze began on Monday when a vehicle suffered mechanical failure. It has raced across nearly 90,000 acres in less than a week, according to California’s firefighting agency, doubling in size on Saturday due to low humidity and high winds and temperatures. It is currently 5 percent contained.

On Friday, California Gov. Jerry Brown asked the White House for assistance, and on Saturday President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration approving federal aid to supplement the state, local, and tribal response efforts. At least 517 structures have been destroyed so far.

Photographer Josh Edelson is on the scene near Redding, California. We’ve gathered some of the most haunting photos, documenting the devastation over the past 72 hours: