Wildfire Photography, Advice Needed

Barb,

A normal setting is fine, if you're shooting both the fire and surrounding trees,houses. You need to shoot RAW files and you should be fine. Fire is bright, but to the meter not that bright, like snow or sand or sun. You might over-expose a stop, but probably not needed if shooting RAW. Ideally, wind should be at your back, so smoke is blowing away. AND the fire isn't coming towards you at a fast clip.

NO PHOTO IS WORTH putting yourself in danger!

I've photographed "control burns" for the Nature Conservancy and others and safety is ALWAYS first!

Think of the big picture and then get detail shots, if this is what you're trying to do. People shots are great, but don't get near the front lines, unless you've got a body watching the fire and ready to grab you away!

Rich

Everything Rich suggests is excellent advice.

To add a bit based on my experience (we have had four wildfires within an hour of Asheville the past few months), use a telephoto with a tripod. You should be able to setup near where the firefighters are staging. In my case I got some great action shots as the firefighters were suiting up, Huey choppers coming and going to dowse the fire and the flames as well. All of this from the safety of a good distance and near the comforts of the car.

Be careful and I hope you get some good shots.

I have no advice to give on fire photography, just wishing you best of luck in avoiding the fire and evacuation! It sounds terrible. My daughter said the smoke is all the way to the Denver area. .

Be safe, hope you will get some good shots :)!

Babarba wishing you and your family and home will be spared. Keep safe and have a plan for immediate evav. As we have plans for Hurricanes take photos of everything of value you can not take. Do not wait til last moment. Take what you treasure most your family is more important, keeping you in my thoughts

Remember, there will be thousands others plan a route do not get caught in a grid lock. I am certain officals will direct you. Keep safe during this natrual diaster.

Do not hang around to take photos of the fire, wind directions could change try and capture from a far enough distance. They are stunning to view the sun through the smoke etc. But capture leaving the area

Also keep in mind though tragic the aftermath at times reveals beauty of a diaster

Cheers, Michael Hoard, Principal Actor, Artist and Photographer

The 10th anniversary is upon New Orleans of Hurricane Communities all across America help us in our need. In the event you may be directly impacted keep us all informed If I can start on a local level to help with some sort of aide relief please keep us posted

Also I will pledge one half of any money from my sales i will contribute to Red Cross or a relief fund of your choice for members affected in the area of the fires.

Take care
Michael Hoard

Thank you Rich, Bill, Michael and everyone for you suggestions and goodwill.

Update... good news...the high winds didn't show up last night...mother nature was on our side. Bad news...the smoke is still so thick the planes and helicopters can't fly... if they can't see the fire, they can't fight it from the air....And it's really dangerous on the ground for the crews too.

Here is the latest update from the Inciweb.nwcg.gov - site.

All fires in the region anticipate more intense fire behavior today due to predicted
winds from the southwest with gusts up to 25 miles per hour.
As firefighters prepare for changing fire and weather conditions, correct selection of
strategies and tactics will continue to be based on the number one priority of safety of the
public and firefighters. Structure protection, constructing direct fireline, and creating indirect
containment line will be used to halt the spread of the fire where possible. Helicopters and
air tankers are available to be used if the smoke clears and visibility allows.

Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team 2 assumed command of the fire at 6:00 am
today. Incoming and outgoing team members shared information to ensure a smooth
transition for line personnel who remain on the incident.
The Stickpin Fire is now estimated at 48,885 acres and is 20% contained. Crews worked
Wednesday to hold and improve fireline along the west side of the fire. The upper end of the
Lone Ranch Road and the upper end of Long Alec Creek Road are particular areas where
dozers and crews concentrated their efforts to halt fire spread.
Crews and fireline supervisors from BC Forestry are key resources on the north end of the
fire. Canadian air tankers are available to assist in the fire suppression efforts for areas
north of Boulder Creek Road.

Yesterday, crews working on hazard reduction along the Boulder Creek Road made good
progress. Ferry County Public Works, Ferry County Sheriff’s office, Incident Management
Team personnel, and the US Forest Service are all working together to remove hazard trees,
making the road safer for emergency response and fire personnel. The National Guard is
assisting by providing traffic control for passing firefighters during the operation.

Road closures.- In Washington State

Deer Creek-Boulder Creek County Road 602 is closed because of
significant hazards through the fire area. Highway 20 is recommended as an alternate route.
The portion of the Colville National Forest from the Canadian Border to Highway 20,
between Highway 21 and US Highway 395 is closed. All trails, roads, and access are
temporarily closed due to extreme fire activity. No campfires, charcoal or chainsaw use are
allowed. There are additional road closures in the area due to other incidents – visit
www.wsdot.wa.gov for details.


In BC - we have two routes out of Grand Forks - West through Rock creek - or East through - Blueberry Paulson.
Both routes (roads) have been closed numerous times over the last couple of weeks, due to Wildfires.

Rock Creek was under a Evacuation Order and all residents were told to get out....some are now being allowed back in to see the damage and round up their livestock.

Osoyoos - Thick smoke from fires burning in Washington State has reduced visibility in Osoyoos hampering efforts to fight the growing Testalinden Creek fire.

There is also a fire to the north of us, at Lynn Creek...

ME....I'm staying putt, until, I'm told to get out. My irrigation is on full and I'm soaking everything down as best as I can.
The mountain to the south (Galena) is 'as the crow flies' maybe a mile from the end of my property line...so I don't need to get any closer to the fire, then I already am. Fires scare me and I'm a big chicken....and my legs don't move too fast anymore...I promise I will stay safe.

My camera (thanks Rich) is set on RAW, I have my tripod, and telephoto lens...when the winds pick up and fire crests the mountain, I'm ready. The water bombers will be using Christina Lake and our airport is closed to anyone other then fire crews....but the smoke needs to clear, before they can fly.

I'm off to bed now....to get some sleep...I'll keep you posted, if I can.

Thanks again and if anyone has more words of advice please do post. I know I'm not the only one dealing with wildfires in their backyards.

Stay safe everyone, and may God be with us.

Cheers, Barbara

Sorry you are going through this and I am sending prayers your way!

Having been through a wildfire myself just 3 years ago this September 9th...I know the stress it causes. The first and foremost thing to do is make sure you are safe!! As tempting as it might be to get "that perfect shot"....fires can change in an instant and you will have no chance to save yourself.

In the wildfire we experienced...my husband's family homestead cabin along with all the surrounding land and forest was a complete loss. The cabin was built by my husband's parents in the 1950s. The fire burned over 15,000 acres in just a couple days.

Here's a before photo (that I took roughly 5 years before the fire) of my husband's late father's old pickup truck. The second photo is just a few days after the fire.

Barb,

Sounds like you've got it under control!

One thing I left out, is to NEVER get in front of the firefighters and the line they establish. They certainly won't let you, but if they don't know where you are, you can wander into the wrong section and find yourself on the WRONG side of a fire. Especially in your "neck of the woods".

If you're new to shooting RAW, just go out and shoot a couple of files, with a good range of light, open sky and maybe dark trees and undergrowth and then look at them in Photoshop/Adobe Camera RAW, so you know what to expect. The "secret" is the histogram. If you get everything within that "box", you're good to go. Even a stop or so off, you're fine with shooting RAW.

Once the fun starts, ain't the time to be looking at the back of the camera! LOL!

Good Luck and stay safe!

Rich

I don't photograph anything I can't out run.

Edward,

Good advice! Out West, I ALWAYS went with my buddy that had bad knees.........As slow as I am, I know I could outrun him, if that great bear shot walked up on us! LOL!



Rich

Advice about shooting forest fires.

Take them for a vantage point where you need a very, very long telephoto lens.

Good luck from Nelson's North Shore. You are in our thoughts. When the fire hit us, we didn't have time to prepare for anything and spent every spare second packing a few boxes, the dogs, watering this property and evacuating by boat at 1 am. Had I had time or my camera I am sure I would have had spectacular shots, but I had to leave that glory to others. A photo shoot just isn't worth it, and when your property/life is threatened, your priorities will become very, very clear.
All the advice the others have given you is very good. If you have the time take those shots- and be aware that there will be other opportunities in the ensuing days. Unfortunately, Stickpin and other fires aren't going away anytime soon...

Barbara, this is as close to a fire that I'll get to photograph it, I had a very close call years ago in a forest fire and I was on a major paved highway and barley escaped the firing inferno. Use extreme caution, things get ugly really fast.

Barbara, I went to bed late last night and I am so glad to hear the updates this morning. Nature is so unpredictable at times but for the time being I am so glad things are not as nerving for you presently. Good luck with your images!!!!!! I had an interesting question to ask? In the event of fire are there certain aspects of the fire itself engulfs residents property from forest fires and insurance homeowner coverage. Because of your thread it brought to mind the US coast guard after Hurricane Katrina took the first aerial photos of the destruction and without that one photo that US coastguard took of the destruction won a very important insurance claim in my sister and brother in laws home . It was determined a tornado within the storm destroyed all the homes within there property sight of their property and not the enormous tidal waters. Since it is a natural disaster I would and know FEMA offers assistance am I correct in saying this. Residents living in wilderness are they too subjected to various insurance policy's.

Example if it were determined arson does not have a bearing on homeowners insurance claims I was curious because in you the photographer take photos of perhaps other neighbors homes around you they may forget to take photos of their residences and certainly would appreciate an image in the event they sustain any unfortunate losses.

Prior to a natural disaster, I do take as many photos as I possibly can of before and after.

Cheers, Michael Hoard Principal Actor, Artist and Photogrpaher

This photo not of Stickpin, but of the fire still burning above my house 10 days after it erupted.

Hi, Barbara: Please keep in mind that even though you are watering everything down, not everyone else may be home to do the same. Embers can travel via wind - not necessarily in a "shower" - for a few miles and ignite other properties, blocking escape routes. Is your car packed up and ready to leave immediately, just in case you are told to do so?

Stay safe, and keep in touch. And keep your phones charged - I hope you have a phone charger in your car too?

Susan

Sunday, Aug 30th - Stickpin Fire update.

Yesterday was a little hair raising... 45km winds from the south... Grand Forks is north of the fire... Everyone and their dogs were on fire watch, checking for blowing embers. Everything was fine, the fire lines held. Thankfully because the crews on the ground had to retreat, it was too dangerous.

Here is a visual...all us crazy old hippies, were out dancing around our properties... singing, praying for rain.... It worked, well probably not because of us old fools, but we woke up to rain.
It's not heavy, but anything is better then nothing.

It's still too smoking, and now cloudy, to see any distance, so air fire crews are still grounded, but the fire is staying on the US side of the border. Good for us, but unfortunately more residents across the line were evacuated yesterday. This Stickpin Fire is huge and only 17% contained...they are estimating it could burn until mid to late October. So, this is a long way from being over, rain or not.

@Michael, to answer your question, the insurance companies are on hold, no new policies are being written so property sales are falling though left right and center... without homeowner's insurance, you can't get a mortgage. It's too dangerous in this neck of the woods. Over twenty homes (structures) in the Rock Creek, West Bridge area, were lost to fire, a little over a week ago....

I was out for a little while yesterday, shooting pictures of the staging areas and such, but, nothing of the fire...and that's okay. I'd gladly pass up a great shot in exchange for piece of mind, knowing we are not going to be told to get out because the fire jumped the fire break... However we are still on evacuation Alert, and probably will be for a long time to come.

Thanks again for your words of wisdom and yes, staying safe is my goal. I'm doing everything I can...even doing a little rain dance, LOL

Cheers, Barbara
I'll continue to update when I can.

Update on the fire situation in my area... Northeast Washington, South Interior, BC

We are off, evacuation alert, ya!!

Weather has helped but the fires still burn.

Here is the latest Incident report http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/4536/29820/

And the photographs on site, http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photographs/4536/ - smoky the bear got in on the act. lol

Thanks for all your well wishes and I'm happy to report....no pictures of the wildfire making it to my property line have been taken :-))

Cheers, Barbara