Recently, I became a volunteer for Cal Fire. With my friend Wes Schultz, I will be photographing wildland fires this season. The last big wildland fire I photographed was the Telegraph Fire in 2008. Lucky for me there wasn’t much hiking involved because both of my knees were bone on bone. In May 2009, I had bilateral total knee replacements, so I am ready to go again.
Friday, July 25, 2008, some guys were target shooting and their bullets hit rocks that sparked a fire. The Telegraph Fire started at 3:15 p.m. near Telegraph and Sherlock roads in the Midpines area. By 7:00 p.m. that night, my neighbors and I were photographing the first big flames ripping up Telegraph Hill. I spent seven days photographing the fire working for Getty, Polaris and Associated Press. I posted most of my images to Photoshelter. Here are some of the images that tell the story.
July 30, 2008
A Cal Fire bomber drops retardant on Division L at the leading edge of the fire. Division L was threatening Greeley Hill.
July 28, 2008
Horses on Jenkins Ranch off Bull Creek Road are oblivious to a smoke plume from a blow up at Branch Three of the fire. This part of the fire is on the north side of the Merced River and is heading toward the community of Greeley Hill.
July 28, 2008
Helicopter drops water on a spot fire off Bull Creek Road.
July 26, 2008
On the second day of the fire, a DC-10 tanker drops retardant on Mt. Bullion ridge to protect cell phone towers. I photographed this image from Highway 49 between Mt. Bullion and Bear Valley.
July 28, 2008
Branch Two of the fire throws a plume of smoke and ash into the sky over the Merced River Canyon near sundown.
July 29, 2008
Guide plane leads retardant bomber on Division M in an attempt to slow down the progression of the fire up Halls Gulch toward the Greeley Hill community.
July 30, 2008
Day begins as a California Department of Corrections fire crew heads out to cut fire line on Division L.
July 28, 2008
Fire rips up a hill in part of Division M on Branch Three. This part of the fire is on the north side of the Merced River and was heading toward the community of Greeley Hill.
July 30, 2008
Erickson Sky Crane drops water on the leading edge of the Telegraph Fire.
July 30, 2008
Captain Roy Johns of the Union City, California Fire Department watches burn-out on Division N. When the fire gets too hot, he will have his firefighters use hoses to cool down the fire. Division N was in the northeast portion of the fire in the Stanislaus National Forest.
July 30, 2008
Kern County Hot Shot fire crew returns after a shift of cutting fire line on Division L.
July 30, 2008
Union City firefighters use hose on trees at Division N to cool down fire during burn-out.
July 29, 2008
A Kern County fire truck moves along the firebreak as things heat up in Division M of Branch Three. In the background, a fire blows up near Halls Gulch and Bull Creek Road.
San Bernardino firefighter takes a moment to get information at Division L on the leading edge of the fire.
July 26, 2008
Standing on Highway 49 between Mt. Bullion and Bear Valley, I use my 10mm lens to capture smoke rising over Mount Bullion and Fremont Ridge.
July 29, 2008
Cal Fire firefighters watch blow-up at Division M of Branch Three as the fire bumps over the line.
July 31, 2008
Bomber drops retardant to pre-treat a hot spot near Bull Creek Road on Division M.
July 30, 2008
California Department of Corrections fire crew takes lunch after cutting fire line on Division L.
