Content warning: these images may be difficult for some viewers, as traumatic life experiences with wildfire are commonplace, especially from the megafires in the last decade.
Captions under images are taken from photo sources, some have been shortened.
The power of wildfire photography lies in the documentation of the natural world. Wildfire photography can bring public awareness to the realities of wildland firefighting, the effects of wildfire, and even be appreciated simply as an art form with its own beauty.
As with any art form, the human relationship with the subject is revealed through our reaction to the art piece. What are the first few words or phrases that you think or feel when you see the images above? Many modern-day westerners, and perhaps yourself, have negative connotations of wildfire. Perhaps one of those thoughts was along the lines of "that looks scary," "that seems dangerous," or "it is unfortunate those trees are being destroyed." These perspectives take a negative view of fire, and of course, fear of large fires is a natural instinct and evolutionarily necessary for survival. However, the same holds true for large, churning rivers or expansive oceans, in which a human could drown. And yet our overall connotations of bodies of water in western thinking do not take such a negative view.
Any piece of art can have the power to change your perspective or facilitate deeper thinking and learning. Wildfire photography certainly has that potential, especially because we so rarely see wildfires in person. Having access to a variety of depictions of wildfire is vital. Take, for example, the image above: a wildfire roars in the background of a lone firefighter with a drip torch (a tool used to dispense fire). Did you know that firefighters often use fire to fight fire? Or that seasoned wildland firefighters can be in proximity to flames several times their height while feeling quite safe? Note: Approaching a wildfire is NOT safe for the public. Fire professionals are trained on when and where it is safe to approach a fire.
"As with any art form, the human relationship with the subject is revealed through our reaction to the art piece. What are the first few words or phrases that you think or feel when you see the images above?"
As a visual learner, I was inspired by the following visual depictions of fire to provide context that can help others learn more about wildfire.
Above, you can see the use of a drip torch by a professional wildland firefighter. He uses the slope from the uphill topography to burn undergrowth in lines. As each line is set on fire, it burns upwards (the slope is towards the left in this photo), and the fire burns up towards the previously set line. It is common to start at the top of a ridge and burn in strips in this way until you reach a valley. This system creates a predictable environment in which flames stay small and run out of fuel. Of course, this technique is not usable in all conditions. For example, if there were a downslope wind, low humidity, or different vegetation burning in this way, it could become unpredictable or unsafe. Conversely, during colder months, when vegetation retains more water and is not subject to colder temperatures, getting fire to catch and maintain a burn is challenging, sometimes impossible.
In the photograph above, the grasses and shrubs are burning, but the trees have no fire on them. Most tree species native to California, when in a healthy state, can easily withstand the level of ground fire seen here without sustaining any damage or being at any real risk of catching fire. A thick outer layer of bark acts as a barrier because it does not ignite with the small flames that grasses and small shrubs create. This is in part because bark retains water better than grasses and small shrubs do, so the intensity of the flame required to ignite bark is much more extreme than the little flames shown here.
The general public rarely gets to see fire in a natural ecosystem; even this simple burn may invoke fear for some, especially due to past experience with wildfire. It is important to spread images of safe fires. Just as we might see the beauty and significance of a forest or a river when portrayed by nature photography, I hope our view of fire can expand to include the positive connotations of fire and reduce the feelings of extreme fear from wildfire. The level of fear and anxiety that many people attach to fire is not set in reality but instead in past experiences, fear of the unknown, and catastrophizing. It is natural and instinctive to have a fear of fire, just as we would be afraid of stepping into a roaring river. But the level to which many modern humans fear fire is extreme. A step in the right direction is reframing fire in the media, and that has begun to occur. The more images of good fire that are circulated, the better. My hope is that with images such as the ones in this article, the public can rediscover the beauty and significance of fire.
Check out more images by these wildfire photographers:
"It is natural and instinctive to have a fear of fire, just as we would be afraid of stepping into a roaring river. But the level to which many modern humans fear fire is extreme. A step in the right direction is reframing fire in the media, and that has begun to occur...
The more images of good fire that are circulated, the better."
The impact of fire that affects the largest number of people is air quality issues from smoke, ash, and other particulates in the air. Wildfire smoke effects are particularly harmful for vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness, people with asthma, and those with severe health issues. The poor air quality can last weeks in extreme cases, and smoke often travels hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles.
For large wildfires, it can take weeks from first ignition to a fully extinguished state. After the main firefront passes, firefighters follow up with "mop-up," a stage of wildland firefighting that aims to fully extinguish remaining smoldering or burning materials in order to prevent reignition or stop a spotfire before it spreads. This involves a combination of covering burning materials with soil to cut off oxygen supply and strategic application of water. In a prescribed fire, mop-up is also used to ensure the fire is contained inside the area that land managers want to treat with fire.
"My hope is that with images such as the ones in this article, the public can rediscover the beauty and significance of fire."
Megafires in California have caused significant emotional trauma for the population. Portrayal of positive impacts of fire and hope to rediscover the beauty of fire are not realistic nor need to be prioritized for many individuals. My heart goes out to the billions devastated by megafires across the globe. However, there are many who have gone through trauma and have taken it upon themselves to become more informed on topics relating to wildfires, including wildfire prevention, home hardening, defensible space, and/or evacuation.
If you live in California, you are a human living in an ecosystem that requires fire. I hope that you take it upon yourself to prepare for the event of a wildfire. Saving lives is always the first priority of firefighters during any fire. However, the sooner they can focus all their attention on secondary objectives such as slowing and stopping the fire, protecting cultural resources, or extinguishing homes, the better. Preparing yourself and your home for a wildfire event frees firefighters to save the lives of other individuals and get to their secondary objectives, like protecting structures and reducing the footprint of the fire.
Consider answering and taking action on a few of the following questions:
Are you signed up to be notified of a wildfire in your area? Even during the night?
Do you have an emergency bag? Are you able to leave in 15 minutes?
Highlights: important documents, food, water, clothes, be ready for loss of power, and cell service
Are your more vulnerable family, neighbors, friends, and pets ready? If not, can you make a plan to include them?
I conclude with a couple photos of individuals working in wildfires below as a reminder that there are many people who dedicate their lives to a variety of professions that keep the public safe in the event of a wildfire. Of course, there are wildfire firefighters and municipal firefighters. There are also foresters that see to the health of our forests, photographers that document fire, and public safety officials that plan for notification and evacuation of the public.
My knowledge of wildfires is thanks to former and current wildland firefighters, environmentalists, and administrators at GrizzlyCorps. I am thankful to all the professionals who taught, mentored, and worked alongside me for the last year and a half. Thanks to the GrizzlyCorps program, I have had a fellowship with both the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) and the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), in which I have learned and grown tremendously.
