The series of photos show a firefighter being held up by two fellow crew mates in order to grab the flag in the midst the Wall Fire in Oroville, California, on Saturday, July 8.
"It was a happy oasis that happened in a desert of tragedy," photographer Josh Edelson told Time. "I've never seen anything like that."
According to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Wall Fire has burned 5,600 acres and destroyed 17 structures as of Monday, July 10.