In the tidal wave of Yosemite Rim Fire photos, no image has quite captured the awe and terror of the disaster for local residents quite like this shot of smoke over downtown Groveland:
Almost as shocking as the photo itself is the source of the image: 18-year-old skateboarder Cory Stone. Stone was at work as a reservationist for Yosemite Region Resorts when he stepped outside to capture what he was seeing. Though the fire itself hasn't reached Groveland, Stone said the smoke has been almost unbearable.
"It's been pretty bad," he told The Huffington Post.
Indeed, smoke from the fire has prompted unhealthy air warnings in nearby Nevada. But though the blaze has already consumed an area larger than Chicago, firefighters had 23 percent of the fire contained by Wednesday morning--a vast improvement from the out-of-control weekend.
Still, Stone and nearby residents are prepared for the worst.
"People were evacuated five minutes up the road from us," he said. "Everyone's been on their toes."
Stone posted the photo to his Facebook page and it was quickly shared across social media.
"That's not smoke. It's the Nothing from 'The NeverEnding Story,' said Facebook user Sam Daw. "This is the end."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
Check out more images of the Yosemite Rim Fire in our slideshow below:
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