30 Amazing Pictures of Forest Fires

Forest Fire

Image: H Dragon

A large forest fire is one of the most awesome natural events one can witness on earth. With trees, leaves and other vegetation serving as its fuel, a single forest fire can raise hundreds of thousands of acres to the ground, skipping over roads and rivers with wanton abandon, advancing at speeds of up to 7mph (14mph in grasslands).

Unchecked forest fires can cause huge amounts of damage. 173 people died and 2,029 houses were destroyed in the February 2009 Victorian Bushfires in Australia alone. Nevertheless, forest fires are more than a mere destructive force, they can be a force for good too: many plant species and entire ecosystems depend on them for growth and renewal.

However awe-inspiring forest fires might be in the flesh, most would prefer to view them in photographic form, from the safety of their own temperate climates. Fortunately, forest fires are wonderfully photogenic, as witnessed by the incredible images below.



Image: Wikimedia

This fantastic image inspired the creation of this article. It shows two elk standing in the East Fork of the Bitterroot River, in the Bitterroot National Forest, Montana. I very much doubt whether John McColgan, the fire behaviour analyst who took this photograph, will take another more beautiful in his life.



Image: Wikimedia

This forest fire might look like the real thing, but it’s actually nothing more than an experiment. In the Northwest Territiories of Canada, scientists start controlled forest fires in order to measure spread rates and observe fire behaviour. Scientific equipment is visible in the foreground.



Image: Wikimedia

A semicircular burning front is clearly visible in this forest fire, viewed from Alto de Quintela, Portugal.



Image: view_camper

The effects of a forest fire are all too obvious in this photograph taken in Sun Valley, Idaho. The burning front of the fire has created a spectrum of colours, from the black of charred tree remains to the bright-green of healthy foliage.



Image: Wikimedia

This image appears to have been captured in the heart of the fire itself, the fire’s glow so bright that it obscures our view of the tree trunks.



Image: Wikimedia

Beyond the Harvest Golf Club, the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park fire burns out of control. Started by lightning and fuelled by strong winds, the fire forced 45,000 people to flee their homes. Luckily, nobody lost their lives.



Image: Clinton Steeds

This scorched landscape, near to Pioneertown, California, demonstrates the effects of a wildfire. Forest fires can move at an alarming rate (6.7mph), but in dryer areas like this, fires have been known to advance at speeds above 10mph.



Image: Wikimedia

Another great image of a fire’s burning front, this time taken of the Zaca Fire, which was the second largest ever recorded in California’s history. The fire started on 4th July 2007 in Buellton. By 31st August, it had burned over 240,207 acres. It was not fully controlled until 2nd September of that year.



Image: Kevin Labianco

All too often, forest fires are started deliberately. Santiago Fire, seen here from Lake Mission Viejo, was ignited in three separate places, strongly indicating human intervention.



Image: The Forest History Society

A smokejumper descends into dangerous Montana territory in this image, taken in 1941. Smokejumping, the practice of parachuting into remote areas to control wildfires, still occurs today.



Image: Lee Otis

Smoke pours from this fire near Ensenada, engulfing a settlement in the process.



Image: Wikimedia

On 25th July 2007, smoke from a forest fire on the Greek island of Zakynthos blackened the sky.



Image: Wikimedia

A forest fire rages over the Angora Ridge in South Lake Tahoe, USA.



Image: Wikimedia

A group of brave firemen march towards the towering flames of the Day Fire, which started on 4th September 2006. The Day Fire was the sixth largest forest fire ever seen in California, destroying 162,700 acres of land and causing $70.3 million of damage.



Image: Wikimedia

Bison graze in Yellowstone National Park, seemingly unperturbed by the plumes of smoke surrounding them. They’ve seen many wildfires before!



Image: Wikimedia

Swirling smoke billows high into the sky during the Bull Fire of 2006, which took place in the Dixie National Forest, Utah.



Image: Macpablo Campbell River

Deep-red flames line the horizon in this fantastic image taken near Nazko, British Columbia, in the summer of 2006.



Image: jcookfisher

The breath-taking power of a forest fire is even more evident at night, when red flames stand out against a dark background. Colours are particularly vibrant in this photograph, taken in the Inyo National Forest, California.



Image: jcookfisher

Smoke from the Sherwin Fire, in the Inyo National Forest (the same fire in the photo above), turns the sky a hazy shade of orange.



Image: jcookfisher

A plane scatters bright-red fire retardant chemicals onto the forest below. Planes, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles are all used to drop water and fire retardants, such as borates and ammonium phosphates, onto forest fires.



Image: Wikimedia

The juxtaposition of a forest fire and a fast moving stream make this image all the more unusual and interesting.



Image: slworking

This photograph of the 2007 Harris Fire was taken from the top of Mt Helix in La Mesa, California. Five civilians lost their lives to the Harris Fire, which injured 40 firefighters and caused $21 million of damage.



Image: Listicles

A group of people gather together to witness the immense power of a forest fire in Colorado.



Image: August G

Firemen lose their lives each year trying to tackle forest fires. It’s a hard, dangerous job. Danny, the fireman in the photos above, smiles through a smoke-blackened face.



Image: Paul.Carroll

A forest fire near Boulder, Colorado, illuminates an area of hillside in the distance. Signs of human activity lie worryingly close to the advancing flames.



Image: Listicles

A bather stands waist-deep in water in British Columbia, trying to take in the overwhelming spectacle before him.



Another perfectly timed shot of an aircraft flying low above what's left of the forest dropping water on the wild fire below.

Image: july



A spectacular shot leaves little to the imagination in terms of the perilous dangers faced by forest service firemen who regularly put their lives on the line.

Image: mephistopheles



In what looks almost like a staged shot, a lone tree is starkly silhouetted by a looming line of fire.

Image: comic book guy



In Australia, a fireman rescues a stricken koala bear.

Image: aliranjbar