Jan L. Beyers, a plant specialist, photographs a fire-ravaged area for a Forest Service report on the September blaze. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
The sign near Mills Creek, which burned in the Station fire along with tangled trees, warned of Fire Danger Today. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A man searches through debris in a structure destroyed by the Station fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Some species, inluding this whiptail lizard, can find a refuge during a fire by digging themselves underground. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Detail of charred tree bark after the Station fire near Mills Creek in the Angeles National Forest . Depending on the type of tree and how deep the fire’s heat penetrates, some trees can survive a fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
A big berry manzanita was killed by the Station fire, but seeds stored in the soil will germinate in the spring and, in time, a new tree will grow. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Pine needles are petrified at an acute angle, the result of hot wind wringing the last drop of moisture from the tree. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Utility workers walk among skeletons of chaparral after the Station fire. Some species will start new growth this winter. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
