The devastation wrought by the Carlton Complex Fire in north-central Washington state is impressive enough in numbers, but to grasp its real scope, you have to go airborne. Aerial photos and helicopter and drone video reveal a charred landscape encompassing more than a quarter-million acres where hundreds of families have lost their homes.
The fire — called a "complex" because it was formed from the merger of four individual fires last week — remained 52 percent contained Thursday, 10 days after it was ignited by a severe weather system. It's the largest fire in state history, and more than 2,800 firefighters have converged from across the country to battle it.
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— M. Alex Johnson and Jacob Rascon