Hunka, hunka, burnin' forest

Last week at this time I was resting-up after the first day of covering a fairly small wildlands fire near Rye, Colorado. I have to admit that I enjoy covering wildfires. I have covered several fires over the years. I have even gone through the basic wildlands firefighter training and held a "red card" for several years.

I can honestly say that if I wasn't a photographer I honestly believe that I would be a wildlands firefighter. There is just something about being in the forest and doing that kind of work. I find it very exhilarating and there is just something about the smell of a wildlands fire.

(It may sound weird, but if you were ever a wildlands firefighter you would understand.)

The Colorado fire season was nearly non-existent this past summer. There had been a great deal of spring and early summer moisture this year thus keeping the fire danger rather low until now.

A warm, dry, and windy fall has given a boost to the fire danger this past month. And it came into play last week. A rancher was out cutting hay when a spark from the farm machinery ignited the dry hay and grass. The fire quickly spread to some nearby forested property despite the efforts of the farmer to douse the flames.

Fire crews moved in quickly as law enforcement officials evacuated nearby schools and residents. The decision was made that attacking the fire from the air was the way to get a handle on the fire as quickly as possible.A helicopter was dispatched to drop 2,500 gallons of water on the fire each time it flew over. That certainly slowed the fire as well as the small tanker that was called on to drop fire retardant between the fire and a nearby home. I managed to get a few opportunities to shoot the helicopter before dropping my cell phone in the brush and spending the next 20 minutes crawling around looking for it hoping I'd find it before it got dark. I did. (But that is also why I didn't get any images of the small taker doing the slurry drops, but don't tell anyone okay?)


The only significant loss in the fire was this front-end loader. It was parked among the trees that were burning on what is called 'Rattlesnake Hill'.

Fire crews spend the next day doing what these two firefighters are doing, putting out hotspots.This is tough work and probably the part of fighting a fire that is the least popular, but the most necessary. No one wants to see a fire get a second chance to get out of control after it has been contained once.

My 'Nomex', helmet, boots, and fire shelter are all back in my bag ready for the next fire. I doubt that there will be much before next May or June, but fire doesn't stick to the calendar and could make an appearance anytime if the conditions are right.

If that happens and there is a fire in them-thar hills I will be happy to go and cover another hunka, hunka, burnin' forest.