>> yes. >> reporter: another influence for sarkin is his cousin, a firefighter for the ventura countyment. currently there are 8,000 firefighters on the front lines fighting six significant fires across the state. now here we are two and a half years later in the midst of this installation, and california is again ravaged by wildfires. is that a visceral experience for you right now, sitting inside of this installation? >> absolutely. i feel what inspires me most about this kind of work is that it brings attention to what's going on around us. the timeliness of this is total accident. it's painful. >> reporter: over the past five years, fires have engulfed nearly every corner of california. satellite photos capture the plumes of smoke across the state, and according to noaa, the smoke has reached all the way to the east coast, making burning light a uniquely modern work of art. it's great when art meets a moment like this, right? >> yes. it's hard for me to say great because what is happening is awful, but great that people can have a more clear understanding and hopefully we can come