forestfires

In June and July of this year, record temperatures and dry conditions in Colorado led to massive wildfires that destroyed hundreds of structures and the loss of 2 lives. The fires were so big that the smoke plumes could clearly be seen from space.

College Station, Texas-based filmmaker and photographer Matt Johnson created the time-lapse video above that captures both the beauty of Colorado's landscapes and the power of the recent forest fires.

In the world of firefighting, a "hotshot" is a firefighter who specializes in containing forest fires before they reach inhabited areas. Gregg Boydston is one such "hotshot." Part of a 20-person crew that is available to travel all over the nation, he does one thing that most firefighters don't: he brings his iPhone along and uploads photos to Instagram.

Massive wildfires in the Rockies have destroyed hundreds of homes and scorched tens of thousands of acres over the …