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The Yosemite wildfire, which has been raging for weeks in the back country of the national park, has been captured on camera by fine art landscape photographer Darvin Atkeson.

His epic pictures show the 4,500-acre blaze making its way through one of the most beautiful national parks in America. The Meadow Fire was started by a lightning strike and has turned into a raging inferno due to the drought affecting parts of California.

Mr Atkenson's photographs present an otherworldly vision of the park, with bloody red skies and forbidding clouds of smoke blocking out the dusky evening sky.  

The unexpected spread of the blaze has seen the evacuation of park visitors, with others having to be airlifted from campgrounds and hiking trails in the area.

One picture shows hikers being evacuated off the park's iconic Half Dome peak, which rises nearly 5,000ft above Yosemite Valley.

Several trails near the Half Dome area are closed due to the fire although all the other park facilities in the 3,0821sqkm park are open

Reports from the National Park Service now say that the fire is ten per cent contained.   

Most of Mr Atkenson's photographs were taken at twilight under a full moon. The photographer lives in the areas surrounding Yosemite National Park which he says is 'arguably one of the most stunning parks in the National Park system.'

Beautiful destruction: Darvin Atkeson's pictures show the 4,500-acre blaze making its way through one of the most beautiful national parks in America 

Helicopter rescue: Hikers being evacuated off the park's iconic Half Dome peak, which rises nearly 5,000ft above Yosemite Valley

Clouds of smoke billow across the skies. Yosemite National Park has been hit by a fire which has destroyed 4,500 acres of the park

 Destruction: Several trails near the Half Dome area are closed due to the fire although all the other park facilities in the 3,0821sqkm park are open

Vibrant colours: Many of the photographs were taken at twilight under a full moon. Atkeson says the Yosemite is 'one of the most stunning National Parks'

 Terrifying beauty: The Meadow Fire has been raging for weeks but the blaze has recently spread dramatically 

Raging inferno:  Bloody red skies and forbidding clouds of smoke blocking out the dusky evening sky 

 Otherworldly scenes: The Meadow Fire was started by a lightning strike and has turned into a raging inferno due to the drought affecting parts of California