PJ Adventures - Covering a Wildlife Fire

It's been a long time I have been doing this, and just now thought of making a thread with pics and entries as I go along. So here we go:

Sat 26-Jul-08 @ 2000hs - I become aware of a Forest Fire burning in Mariposa County, between my location and Yosemite National Park. So far, 16000 Acres have burned at a fast rate of spread, as the vegetation (fuel, we call it) and other factors favored such a speedy burn. Center of events seems to be a canyon along the Merced River, south west of the McClure Lake in California.

Sun 27-Jul @ 1100hs - I get in contact with the State Forest Service, and get information in regards to where to go in order to get a handler (it's a person who becomes aware of one's presence, as well as the rules for where one can and cannot go). I am told where to report for news and photo gathering. I am also told that strict Nomex compliance is necessary. Not a problem, as I do have all regulation gear up to date, and certified for the incursion.

any other special info?.. Fire not easily accessed by road, terrain is steep and rocky, altitude is not bad.

Sun 27-Jul @ 1145hs - I start getting ready, and about to perform a last gear check before heading out, approx drive time 150 mins. (Tricky business is to combine just the right amount of fire gear with photo). Thumbs up, BRB.

PS: Please note I will be posting on location from my Cell phone, so if you see a place that says [Picture] and shows nothing, it is because I will probably wait for a dry place and a computer in order to upload photo-video.

Sun 27-Jul @ 1223hs - Going out to Wolf Camera, as I would like a wide angle lens better than the 50mm I have as of this instant. (My 16-35 will be missed, but it is providing a great service, so I have no issues) . On my way back, bring gear upstairs, check, load water, check latest meteorology reports, head out.
Excitement and anticipation -aka worry- start to set in. Crews are being flown to fire spots, as the areas are not easily accessible. This is going to turn out incredibly good, or amazingly lame. In the other hand, sunsets and early mornings are the very best times to capture good smokey and firey photos. Without a doubt.

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Sun 27-Jul @ 1427hs - Running last check on equipment. Got 28-200 Quantarray for $200, a very cheap lens that still performed ok given the circumstances, and that shall not make me feel bad to knock around for the next few days. The rest were $400 (Tammy 18-200) to the classic 17-40L and other expensive-ware.

Now I am set with a fairly wide lens, half of the 50mm. Tis a matter now of getting sh-t together and heading out the door.

[Picture]

Sun 27-Jul @ 1500hs - Checked Gear

[VIDEO Link]

Sun 27-Jul @ 1550hs - On the road.

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Sun 27-Jul @ 1745hs - Reached Mariposa Airport. Spotter Aircraft and Tanker planes and Helicopters were ready to go. Fire burning opposite from my standing location.

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Sun 27-Jul @ 1900hs - After checking with the CALFIRE team, I returned to the airport. They would work firelines through the night, but they did not have a particular handler to take one up to the line itself. I did not feel right about the way smoke was rolling upwards, specially given the dense vegetation, steep hillsides, and nightfall. I knew it was dead time till morning.

[VIDEO Link]

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Sun 27-Jul @ 2200hs - After rolling around for a couple hours, I decided it was time to take some photos and head back home, as I was only a two-hour drive away from the fire.

By the looks of it, access is very restricted by nature, and also -while geographically close to population- quite secluded from their locations.

I was told that in this particular case Calfire is choosing a safe place every morning, and having photographers and TV crews go up to these places with escort, in order to take some of the photos you've seen in the TV news and through AP in papers and other publications. I just don't like that. I refuse -as a journalist- to be ushered into a single place and be told where to take photos from. Though I understand the simple motivation behind this, I just avoid doing such things whenever possible (For Example, when the Shuttle lands one cannot simply find a nice and comfy place along the runway. There is no choice).

In this particular case I have the training and gear and experience to safely approach the fire lines and be able to report and photograph the real action, and not the scenic opportunities setup by CALFIRE.

At any rate, I photographed some hillsides on fire with leisure, and drove home. I would check on the fire status as the week continued, monitoring its development. If needs be, I'd run down there again, and stay during the coverage.

Smoke was thick and very dense. Below is a photo of a Light at the local airport. As you can imagine, there were no walls, hills, or anything so close that could diminish the light from this pole. On top of that, there was no fog, no rain, low humidity, and high temperature. This is a good example that shows how much smoke was floating in the air last night. (it suspends within the crevices of intersecting hills, and they just stay there).

[VIDEO Link]

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