The video coming into the WVEC newsroom from the fires in Southern California has been nothing short of spectacular. You've seen it too; the towering columns of smoke, homes turning to ash, and hillsides ablaze in a sea of red and orange. It's not easy to shoot video like that. It's a testament to how hard working (and often foolhardy) the photographers and reporters on the ground are.
During my four-year stint in Northern California, as I've said before, I spent quality time covering wildfires.
One fire in particular stands out in my memory. It was August 11th, 2004, I was sitting in the KRCR-TV newsroom just before 3:30 p.m. -- when over the scanners dispatchers began calling for every firefighter, engine, water tender and helicopter in Shasta County to head to Jones Valley, and in particular, Bear Mountain Road.
I was the second reporter from my station on scene, I delievered a live truck to our crew and jumped in a search and rescue vehicle with my camera.
With search and rescue, I traveled down back roads, dirt roads and trails trying to collect as much video as possible for the newscasts and anxious viewers at home. At one point, I was standing less than 100 yards from a mountain valley that was completely on fire. In that moment, with a camera balanced on my shoulder, five trees less than 20 feet away from me burst into flames. My heart began pounding out of my chest and all I could think was, "Hold the shot for 5 seconds". It took all of my willpower to abandon my instincts to run from the fire. I got the video and ran back to the truck like a woman possessed.
To this day, I know the act of shooting that video was one of the least intelligent things I've ever done. And, I think of that act of stupidity everytime I see incredible wildfire video.
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