The Fires of Hell, a photo from Michigan, Midwest

Photographer's Note

Sunday was a beautiful day, a bit on the cool side and breezy but with a crisp and clear sky with a few lazy fair weather clouds hanging around. It was a perfect autumn afternoon to spend the day outside. So what better day to go see a few friends.

But when I got outside I saw a dark cloud in the sky and thought how photogenic. But quickly I realized it was not a cloud at all, not a natural cloud anyway. Only a fire could be producing such darkness. So I ran back up to my room to have a better view and this is the view I saw. I estimated it to be about 3 miles away.

So now my plans had changed. I grabbed the camera, got in the car and headed east, into Detroit. As I got onto Ford Rd. to head in the direction of the fire my view became more clear. And the closer I got to it the more it looked like a volcano spilling out ash.

By that point I had an idea of exactly where the fire was and as I got onto Livernois, a wide old once industrial street, I saw I was right. It was an old factory/warehouse in the middle of one of Detroit's old working class neighborhoods filled with tightly spaced homes. At one time it may have been an auto parts supplier that had long ago left and had been converted into a warehouse and auto chop shop. From only a few blocks away it looked apocalyptic behind the businesses on Livernois.

It was the third large fire to burn in Metro Detroit since summer. The first was the former Studebaker Factory which ended up a pile of debris, being a pre-concrete, wood-framed, building. And the second was a chemical factory near Metro-Airport which forced a large evacuation of that neighborhood.

So for the next few hours I joined a crowd of a few hundred watching the fire and the efforts of the Detroit Fire Department to put it out. It was a stubborn fire spread by the stiff wind but the fire crews once again proved their worth as they saved several homes and buildings that directly touched the property of the fire.

I will probably slowly post some views of this fire over time but decided to start with this view of the inferno taken in the evening, a couple hours after I arrived, from the northwest side. It was opposite the focus of most of the fire crews and where one could get closest to the building. So close that I became hot in my jacket as it was like standing in front of a huge fireplace.

riclopes, elihesamian, toni_al, jurgen, Amirsun, papagolf21, bpelvan, itamaratiya, Tue, nwoehnl, sarju, jhm, bertolucci, mdchachi, ChristianS, Rinie_Hoff, rajhema, alvaraalto, oochappan, robiuk, Didi, wilkinsonsg, stardam88, shal, kittyhawk, Jimbal, prezntime, llung, peco85, rajajay trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

jsec (2154) 2005-10-20 14:29

Wow what a great capture. The light is incredible.

riclopes (35577) 2005-10-20 14:40

Great story and shot, Paul! The shining red car in first plan gives a great compo. The orange background is fascinating! It almost seems like a cartoon. I love the diagonal staircase ending into a white square with the dark smoky building. Magnific!
Thank you for sharing,
All the best,
Ricardo

belantis (169) 2005-10-20 14:40

Hey Paul. I like the difference between the sunlight? on the building and thelight on the fire truck and the car. The firefighter in action seems pretty well placed.

I actually saw this fire from the skies above Jackson, MI (about 70 miles/ 113km). The smoke from the fire was so dense that the Detroit air traffic controllers could actually see it on their radar screens.

Can't wait to see more.

toni_al (15875) 2005-10-20 14:50

HI Paul
Impresionnante image, très bien capturée, et j'imagine que dans ces conditions ce n'est pas facile.. Well done
@ toni

jurgen (2074) 2005-10-20 14:59

Very impressive! To put the car in the foreground was a very good idea to let us know that the fire fighters were already there, then I look up the ladder and the big fire that has even some sepia tones. Knowing a little bit of fire, I suppose that from your position it was possible to feel the heat irradiated, and that, then, it wasn't such an easy task to shoot this picture.
Very good photojournalistic work.

[2]

phi75 (0) 2005-10-20 15:06

hi Paul;

what a big BBQ!!
good compo, the colours are very well managed!
thanks;
philippe

Amirsun (2122) 2005-10-20 15:57

Hi Paul!
Indeed very bad happening, but you show it with a nice shot to us! Great smokes with the warm colours in the top is very nice also use of the car in the golden spot is perfect. Very nice shot. Tanks for posting.
Regards
Amir

Ina (2687) 2005-10-20 16:16

Very dramatic picture... The colors and light are fantastic and the scene so strong... TFS...Ina...

Marche (4307) 2005-10-20 16:34

Bonsoir Paul,
Dramatique, mais quelle capture. Les couleurs sont superbes, j'aime beaucoup la composition avec la voiture rouge en premier plan et l'arrière plan orangé.
Amicalement.
Martine

bpelvan (3798) 2005-10-20 18:47

Hey Paul,
Sad story but perfect photo. Perfect PoV and composition as well. I bet you some more shots. Congrats Paul and thanks for sharing..
Bulent

itamaratiya (539) 2005-10-20 19:11

Hey Paul!!!

Perfect shot. The cmoposition, the light and your motivation to get the picture make it perfect.

Very well done,

Itamar

Tue (92302) 2005-10-20 19:46

Hej Paul,
Wow, that was a big fire, and you captured it very nicely. A good POV with the car in front. The red suits well to the yellow in the background. Well captured!
Hilsner,
Lars

nwoehnl (122) 2005-10-20 19:51

An impressive and quite frightening-looking account of the blaze, Paul, in which the fierce orange and yellow tones of the fire are building the excitement that the viewer feels when seeing this scene of the brave fireman starting to attack the flames. A good framing you managed with the fire brigade vehicles and machinery in the foreground, and the sharpness and amount of detail is remarkable.

kajenn (2462) 2005-10-20 22:41

An impressive news shot, Paul, in a fantastic mixture of colors and light. The smoke-filled sky and the burning building in such amazing duotone and as a backdrop to the fire brigade's both vehicles and the lone firefighter on the ladder. Although it's a sad moment, your shot is an excellent piece of photojournalism at it's best. A dramatic activity shown from a well-chosen POV, in a great composition with fantastic colors and a remarkable sharpness. A prize winner. And my favorite is the red DFD car up front - it's such a contrast. Very well done! Looking forward to more...

This isn't the Packard Plant in decay, that you showed in a series of photos last Spring, is it?

tjanze (5674) 2005-10-21 2:59

Wow!
Great photo.Lightning is perfect.I like the angle of view.Photo looks like drawing on placeces where are smoke and building.Fantastic shot.

papagolf21 (152607) 2005-10-21 3:35

Bonsoir Paul,
Il faut avoir vu et être près d'un incendie pour comprendre les ravages du feu (ma vie professionnelle* m'a donné l'occasion d'assister à des feux reconstitués, l'on mesure la chaleur dégagée par les flammes et les difficultés rencontrées par les pompiers, à qui, il faut rendre hommage).
Une photo de grande qualité qui est tout à fait représentative d'un grand feu.
J'espère qu'il n'y a pas eu de victimes à déplorer.
Amitiés.
Philippe

* Je suis ingénieur-conseil en prévention (engineering-consultant loss prevention)

sarju (5324) 2005-10-21 4:10

Hi Paul
I was done with critituing for today but I will make an excuse for this brilliant photo in which you have managed to capture this scene so very well. THe colours have come out very dramatic in this photo and you have managed the compostion very well
and yes an extra point for a brilliant note ... reading it was as if I was going through the same emotions.
very impressed and thank you for this wonderful photo .... cheers ... sarju

[2]

kclai (2267) 2005-10-21 4:20

Hi Paul
This is a very interesting shot. You have managed to captured the event with a thought of feeling and a very powerful shot, as well.
The clarity and sharpness are well executed.
Everything here looked very live, especially the color.
You have done a very good job on the photo-journalism and the text accompanied it is well presented.
Bravo, Paul.
Eric Lai

[2]

jhm (211736) 2005-10-21 4:35

Hi Paul,
I have chicken skin as I see these biggest fire, an impressive news shot, very spectacular Paul! Absolutely very dangerous for the fireman on the ladder.
Well done!
Thanks for sharing.
John.

banyanman (7797) 2005-10-21 10:22

This is a very impressive photojournalism shot Paul, but what I find quite bizarre about this photograph is the red car in the foreground. It is so clean (even the tires look like they haven't been off the showroom floor) and there is no number plate. It looks quite out of place against all the destruction behind. Excellent work. Cheers . . . David

bertolucci (14052) 2005-10-21 13:00

Wow Paul, very good photo journalism here. Thru your text and linked pictures I got sucked in the story right away. The mood, compo and framing is xcellent and due to the light of the fire the fire engine and car seem to belong to another dimension then the building ablaze. In a way this reflects the double way we approach big fires. We are fascinated by the spectacle and the fire fighting technology and the busyness of the scene and at the same time feel the awe that there's a tragedy unfolding.
Xcellent stuff!
Regards fron Rotterdam, Bert

elihesamian (26149) 2005-10-21 16:17

OH,Oh,what sad,what a happening you was seeing,very bad,although you captured it in a great photojornalism style and excellent,with a great dynamism,too,I can feel the hot radiates of the fire,a superb POV you had,very well composed the accident here and wonderful shot you create in this motif,amazing light and colors you reached,too,Paul,wonderful reportage,nicely done,

Best Wishes
M

mdchachi (1612) 2005-10-21 16:33 [Comment]

Show Comment +

premels (2400) 2005-10-22 7:39

Hi Paul, Fire seems epidemic in the area :)
The red car in the foreground visually confirms the heat. The man on the ladder looks very small in front of the huge fire.

ChristianS (2997) 2005-10-22 15:34

Hi Paul, this shot is awesome!!! The red car in the foreground and the thick huge ardent smoke in the beckground make a great composition. The light is perfect and the colours are superb. I'm just out of words about the picture, you managed to be at the right place in the right moment and still created a very nice composition and these details make the picture imo even better than photojounalism. Well done!

Regards, Christian

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2005-10-22 19:26

Hi Paul, if I didn't know you any better, this would be an advertisement for a knew car, inwhich you can be near a fire very fast. And reading your note, I can only conclude one thing, "Paul, the Raving Reporter". Of course I remember your pictures aboiut the stuebaker factory, and that was a sad scene. The result of this fire will be equally bad.
Good capture, Paul.

rajhema (1873) 2005-10-22 21:23

Very lively shot Paul. It delivers the message with a punch. I've heard of this incident on TV. Elaborate comment as well. Very crisp colors with the flashy red car in the front.

gsgeorge (764) 2005-10-23 21:30

wow, excellent shot here of a phenomenal, raging fire. You're right, not the "conventional" view, but you captured some amazing colors, great lighting, and a fascinating scene. well done!

zig (2456) 2005-10-24 9:07

Hee, is this an adv of a film or a sliced scene from a film? How REAL it looks! (I know it is REAL) Glad you rememberd about your camera as you saw it on your porch. I am amazed with the well composed frame and the colours, also the depth of the field. This is great work.

taivo (1843) 2005-10-25 5:47

The fire and colours of the smoke and fire in the background looked so surreal. As said by many, the lighting is incredible, almost CGI-like ;)

danielswalsh (13597) 2005-10-26 22:37

Great shot Paul!

I don't know how I missed this one in the main gallery. Great detail, nice composition, and a great detailed note on your adventure that day. I've lived in Singapore for over 7 years- never seen a fire here, and I can't tell you the last time I saw a fire back home in Canada. Love to be around all the action and excitement, would make for some great journalistic photography as you've shown here..

Well done!
- Dan

fullyarmdvishnu (48) 2005-10-27 13:44 [Comment]

Show Comment +

alvaraalto (42804) 2005-10-28 17:19

Hi Paul,
The red car is dominating the picture. It makes the fire looks less important, and gives the picture a more artistic value instead of actuality. Nevertheless I like it very much. Good work.
Groet Rob

oochappan (4880) 2005-10-29 14:28

I think this one is still a great unique shot, incredible clear in all the details and wht a 3D feeling you got here, what a light in this shot and nice colored, the red car in front of this hell of clouds and fire. A real perfect shot Paul, congratulations, seldom seen such a reality scene with this quality, marvellous. I put it in my personal Fav as good example.(could you tell how you mannaged to get this 3D-feeling here so well ?)

robiuk (10807) 2005-11-01 14:49

Hmmmm.... now I'm beginning to be suspicious - how the hell you always seem to find these fires!?!?
;-D
Now really..., these images are fantastic - and I'm surprised how fast you were to come to the very scene... well, good for us as we can share a part of your experience.
Lucky you to be there, alowed to be so close - no police around to keep spectators 'out of the way'?
Great work!
Robi

Quentin (5280) 2005-11-07 13:17

Hi Paul
This is a great picture with a interesting "story" note. The
composition is really well done and colours are amazing. Good
job.
Regards
Quentin

Didi (61589) 2005-11-12 11:47

Bonjour Paul
Je vous félicite d'avoir effectué ce reportage digne d'un très bon photographe journaliste.
L'arrière-plan est très dramatique et je sens la chaleur qui se dégage.
Image très percutante.

Hello Paul
I congratulate you to have carried out this report worthy of a very good photographer journalist. The background is very dramatic and I feel the heat which emerges. Very impessive image.

wilkinsonsg (8662) 2005-11-20 14:58

I missed this one originally, what a fantastic image you have here - almost surreal in it's detail - shame about the building though.

zeca (19762) 2005-11-24 1:35

Amazing photography. Incredible details very good framing. Focus, depth of field and POV are perfect. Colours are fantastic! Very dramatic scene! Excelent capture!
José

rowanb (864) 2005-12-07 7:24

it almost looks apocalyptic, like something out of a movie! the golden light on the burning building makes it look very surreal. especially compared with the shiny red car out the front. great work.
rowan

elBud (2237) 2006-02-27 1:30

Tremenda fotografia en tremenda escena... un fuego, los bomberos en accion y el auto rojo, super genial, el auto le da un toque super maravilloso, todo contraste y el humo, donde puedes ver a un bombero subiendo una escalera...

tremenda fotografia, muy bien!

OT12 (159) 2006-03-03 3:12

Oh my good ! That is impressive !

shal (944) 2006-04-04 1:31

Hey Paul,
what a brilliant shot great POV and saturation,
perfect journalist shot,
I can imagine the commotion there with the massive fire right in front of all,
Great post :)
Bravo TFS,
Vishal Sabharwal

kittyhawk (1802) 2006-04-22 12:15
Hello Paul,

You've really illustrated the important work fire fighter do. These images from the fire are really well composed. Very nice work on a series of photos that really makes me think and aprechiate the work they do. Thak you for sharing.

- Halgeir

svo555 (1028) 2006-06-05 5:54
Hi Paul
Impressive shot! Great contrast and composition, the moment for the shot just the right one.
Well done!
Sergi

prezntime (3946) 2006-08-12 11:27
Hello Paul.
Where to start with this one? The photo is simply incredible. The framing is awesome (in the true sense of the word), made even better by the fact that you were so close to this inferno. Such well captured colors even in the intense heat.
Outstanding.
Chris

One of the best notes I've read as well.

iGirl (1223) 2006-11-11 12:23
Wow, that is quite the fire! The red vehicle and the orange flames make this a very warm picture, so I can almost feel the heat. Nice POV, thanks for sharing!

Erin

peco85 (921) 2006-11-11 17:58
Amazing photo, with so much action and looking so hot! How well you've composed the image to show how lucky we are to have our heros through the day:) Any PP??

PeCO

kodakbox (45) 2006-12-21 2:57
Someones misery is often photographer's delight.

Prisley (1485) 2007-04-08 15:58
Geez! It looks like a 70's painting, surreal and hot!!! Colors are amazing and POV excellent. I bet you were brave or crazy to go that close to the fire!
Great job!
Pris.

xramm (1831) 2007-09-27 13:08
Excellent captured big disaster. Good POV
Congratulations
Hakki

livermore (1631) 2012-11-06 2:40
Bonjour Paul,
Quelle superbe image, ton cadrage et le traitement de la couleur est sublime.
Félicitations!
Amitiés
Vincent

Photo Information

Copyright: Paul Mastrogiacomo (pamastro) (7296)

Genre: Lieux

Medium: Couleur

Date Taken: 2005-10-16
Categories: Ruines
Camera: Olympus C-5000, 38-114mm 1:2.8-4.8, Olympus xD Pic Card
Exposition: f/2.8, 1/30 secondes
Map: view
Versions: version originale

Thème(s): My Personal Favorites, To remember, Fire on the West Side, Fire! [view contributor(s)]

Date Submitted: 2005-10-20 14:25
Favoris: 14 [voir]

Viewed: 9076

Points: 100

Discussions
To belantis: Impressive (1)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-21 11:09
To mdchachi: Northwest (1)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-22 12:37
To kajenn: Not Packard (2)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-28 08:15
To fullyarmdvishnu: DFD Squad Car (2)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-28 10:02
To banyanman: Fire Vehicle Showroom (1)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-28 12:38
To oochappan: 3-D Feel (2)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-11-01 09:08
To danielswalsh: Fires (1)
by pamastro, last updated 2005-10-30 10:59

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Additional Photos by Paul Mastrogiacomo (pamastro) (7296)

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::: The Fires of Hell by pamastro (7296)

Photographer's Note

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Photo Information

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Additional Photos by Paul Mastrogiacomo (pamastro) (7296)

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