Fighters of the Night's Fire


  • Photographer
    Andrew Nichols
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    March 2014

These photos depict the harshness of grassfires in Oklahoma, and the braveness of the people who try to contain them

Story

There are many things that make Oklahoma a truly unique place. Everything here has a quality that can’t be matched in the way that the state shows true character, especially within its four seasons. The Summer sunsets that dazzle, the leaves of the oak savannah that turn Autumn into awe, the storm clouds that come out of the Spring horizon that a charging chariot. Then, of course, there are the grassfires in Winter. The vulnerable dryness that develops during the winter can turn a pleasant moonlit campfire into an engulfing inferno that can be seen for miles, blanketing vast areas with smoke and ash. On a clear winter’s night, Oklahoma grassfires can be seen for up to 30 miles, creating an eerie orange glow that brings light to the pitch black of night. Grassfires, in short, are both beautiful and terrifying. Then, there are the people who volunteer their time, willingly, to combat this brutal force of nature. They are the firefighters, most of them volunteer. Provided by local departments, these firemen risk themselves to contain something they themselves did not create, because they are willing to get in harm’s way to protect those who can’t be protected. Armed with only water, and sometimes simple tools like a shovel, these brave men of community ban together and try to put a stop to these massive outbreaks. Most of the time, they are successful; sometimes not, at a risky cost. With impending drought, it makes the fires even more compromising, slowing down efforts of extinguishing massive blazes, all the while protecting others from future outbreaks. These photos were taken over the course of a two week period near the Osage Hills Region in Oklahoma. Most of these people are volunteers; they do not seek compensation for their efforts, nor any other type of benefits. They are simple trying to make those around them feel safe when the odds are against them. Because of that, it’s the people that show exactly what Oklahoma’s true character is: integrity, community, and most of all, home.

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