— AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2024 —

Smoke billows from the Airport Fire in Rancho Santa Margarita, California on September 9, 2024. – Wildfires fueled by soaring temperatures in the western United States have scorched thousands of acres, forcing hundreds of families to flee, US officials said September 9, 2024. A blaze burning out of a control near Los Angeles sparked mandatory evacuations as it tore through swathes of tinder-dry California countryside around popular tourist spots. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) / NO USE AFTER JANUARY 31, 2025 23:00:00 GMT – AFP PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2024