The Emir's Gardens during the Kuwait oil well fires. The huge botanical desert retreat was slowly destroyed by the flames of burning rivers of oil from nearby wells that were torched by retreating Iraqis. I photographed the gradual destruction of this walled compound in March, May and July of 1991. This was one of the last small palm tree to succumb to the fires in July, 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.