Reading the week closely: culture, food, ideas and the wider world.

Mariposa County, California, July 2018: crews fight the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park.

World

In Pictures: The Crews Who Fight Fire

On the ground with hand tools, in the air with buckets of water. Four frames of the people who hold the fire line.

1 min read

Every summer, wildfire crews in the western United States move from one fire to the next, often for weeks without a break. Much of the work is slow: cutting lines, clearing brush and watching the wind.

From the air, helicopters drop water, carry crews and scout the fire's edge. These pictures follow both.

More from In Pictures