Fighting Fire From the Sky

We have been surrounded by forest fires all summer. Instead of sitting

at home and worrying about evacuation I went up to the front lines of a

too close for comfort fire and got this shot. I hope you like it. Thanks for

looking.

Excellent capture. Best ratings... Best regards.

Wow, well captured... good luck to you and your neighbors... Mike

 

 

Love your photos very, very much!

Great shot. Alas, I remember scenes like this one all to well from when I used to live in southern California. Ominous, scarey, yet in some ways artistically beautiful.

Thank you all for your thoughts, I appreciate it.

 

Warren, I spent some time in California too and remember the wildfires that always seem to be raging. The landscape around here in south central BC is very similar. I agree with your words "Ominous, scarey, yet in some ways artistically beautiful".

 

Great capture ..Well done ...............................Best regards

You were definately in the right place at the right time with this shot.....Regards

Thank you both for your comments.

 

Keith, absolutly right. I was sort of shocked at how close I was and wasn't really expecting it.

 

 

Wow Linda, you are brave! an amazing sight.....although troubling...I wish the climate did not cause such havoc, and is seems so close to you.........has the smoke ever got too much to handle where you live???? This is an amazing shot.....great timing and capture.......sincerely, Gail(I am afraid my 6's are your 7's.......the 'Powers that Be'.......)

Hola Linda tuienes un 7/7 desde el priemer dia, Saludos cordiales,. buena foto,

Gail, if I were much closer I would have had this dumped on my head. I wasn't using a telephoto, and yes it is close to where we live. There are days when the smoke settles in the valley, we all have asthma, so it does bother us a little. But it not constant, we have winds that blow it away, or blows it in the opposite direction. When you live with it you get used to it. We could sure use some of your rain though. Thanks for stopping by. All the best.

 

Julio, thank you for your generous rating and kind words, I appreciate it. It is good to hear from you.

 

 

hi Linda

great capture on such short notice. hope you and your family are safe. living in calif we see this all to often. all the best.....mark

Excellent documentary Linda. Very dramatic and well executed. Best wishes-Jim

Very well seen and captured...Very nice tonality!

 

Regards(Bobby).

Muy original la foto pero creo que le falta algo de composición y contraste. La línea del avión llega hasta la mitad de la foto, dejando toda la parte de la derecha vacía. Una diagonal completa hubiera sido más romperdora.

Unfortunately dear Linda the last events in Greece socked me very much. The fire passed from my home at Agios Stefanos Athens and we were forced to leave it for a few hours. Finally everything it's ok. I send you a shot of the Canadair over my pine.

Incredible shot Linda. One can feel the tension of the scene from this shot. Best regards.

We've been getting some of the haze here in San Francisco from the fires down in Santa Cruz. I've been close to these fires but never quite so enmeshed in them as you seem to be here. To me, this is an amazing documentary photo, and when we document such real events, especially so breathlessly and intimately, we do everyone who sees them a service by bringing the experience to them. The stark contrast of the blaze of smoky color to the more muted haze really tells the story, the treetops poking through the haze punctuating the story with context.

Mark, thank you. I know California has had a lot of trouble with drought and wildfires. I spent some time there, quite a few years ago. If it wasn't the fires it was earthquakes, and still everyone wants to live there. BC is Canada's California, very similar in some ways. Both such beautiful places. It is so tragic to see all this gorgeous country go up in smoke.

 

Jim, thanks for stopping by.

 

bobby, thank you for commenting.

 

Jose, thank you!

 

Michael, I have watched the fires in Greece on the news. It looks like a terrible situation. I can understand why you would find it shocking. It is horrifying to see your countryside going up in smoke, and so frightening when you have to be evacuated. Thanks for the picture. I believe that this plane of yours is identical to the one in my shot.

 

The main reason we are having so many fires here this summer is that most of our Ponderosa Pine were attacked and destoyed by a Pine Beetle infestation. We have thousands and thousands of hectars of bone dry, dead trees. In some places there are red, dead trees for as far as you can see. It is like kindling. The smallest spark sets of a fire. We have had many thunder and lightening storms, with next to no rain this summer. The Pine Beetle infestation was caused by Global Warming. The winters normally kill the beetles off, but because the winters have been so warm they just thrive and multiply. A terrible situaltion. Please stay safe until all of this is over.

 

 

Sonali, thank you for looking and commenting.

 

Fred, good to hear from you, and thank you for your thoughts. As I mentioned to Mark, I do know what it is like in California. I was there many, many years ago. It is probably worse now than how I remember it. I think Mother Nature is becoming very angry.

 

Best wishes,

Linda

Excellent capture, Linda!

Fantastica

Thank you both for stopping by. Warm regards.

This gives the sense of war, fires on the horizon and a plane in smoke. Frighteningly beautiful.

You are right, it does look like war, in a way it is. I have never been this close to a water bomber dropping it's load before, and for a second I thought it was going down in smoke. Thanks for stopping by. Best wishes.