19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Saguaros Burning in the Bighorn Fire 2020

Invasive Buffelgrass burns hotter than native grasses, leading to wildfires that damage the Sonoran Desert's iconic Saguaro Cactus. During the summer of 2020, the Bighorn Fire burned for a couple of months in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, descending through 4500 foot elevation into the foothills that defines the upper limit of the Saguaro's habitat (and threatening our own home, keeping us on evacuation alert for several weeks.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
Camera: COOLPIX B700
Copyright: © martin horowitz