Behind the image
Escaping the wildfires in California
There’s no better way to quickly clear an area of flammable vegetation, deprive a fire of fuel and halt its advance.
Asmall herd of deer flees a wildfire in California last summer – as such animals have done for countless millennia, escaping seasonal blazes that sweep through dry brush and forest. This time, though, they’re joined by a curious figure setting light to the grass.
“I was following firefighters when the deer suddenly appeared,” recalls Max. “I had barely time to capture a few frames before they ran off.”
Last year, California was hit by the most severe wildfire season on record. Nearly 10,000 fires scorched over 17,000km2, destroying thousands of buildings and killing over 30 people. “Wildfires are the classic struggle of man versus nature,” says Max.
Bolts from the blue
In mid-August, lighting strikes ignited hundreds of fires in northern California. By the evening of 19 August, a large, complex fire was threatening homes in Fairfield, north-east of San Francisco. This firefighter was burning a hillside there: “There’s no better way to quickly clear an area of flammable vegetation, deprive a fire of fuel and halt its advance,” says Max.
For these animals – probably Columbian black-tailed deer, found along North America’s western coast – this was the signal to bolt. They’re used to such blazes; a slow-moving fire that burns deadfall, brush and smaller trees is easy to avoid and creates a better habitat for wildlife. But a fast, winddriven fire can incinerate a forest and burn animals before they can escape.
Max, though, had to deal with being rather less nimble. “The unpredictability of fires is what makes them so dangerous. Always having a clear exit route, along with proper gear and knowing how to use it, is essential.” Paul Bloomfield