A photographer gets up close and personal with California's wildfires - and the photos are hauntingly beautiful

California is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in recorded history. According to a study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change, snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains is at its lowest point in 500 years.

With drought comes an increased risk for fire.

The recent Valley Fire is said to be the third worst in the state's history. It destroyed more than 74,500 acres of forest and 585 homes in Lake County, California. Three people died as a result, according to Reuters.

Photographer Stuart Palley was there for the end of it.

"I've never seen destruction like that from a fire in my career, and I've shot about 60 wildfires," Palley, who has been documenting fires across California for the past three years, said to Business Insider.

Growing up in Newport Beach in Southern California, wildfires were always part of Palley's life.

"I remember playing football in high school during the fires and going to practice, 100 degrees out, and ash was just falling onto the field," Palley said.

Palley's series, entitled "Terra Flama," includes surreal wildfire photos that depict the beautiful chaos.