May 10, 2007—Nearly 800 acres (325 hectares) of Los Angeles's landmark Griffith Park have burned in the worst wildfire the park has seen in nearly half a century. Site of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park Observatory, the large swath of public land is also home to coyotes, bobcats, and a host of other native plants and animals.

The giant blaze is just the latest of five fires to have sparked in the park this year, as drought continues to grip southern California. National Geographic News's Stefan Lovgren reports from Los Angeles on the environmental causes of the fire and what eco-watchers say its effects will be.