Fire across the street

rbiemer · 10-19-2005

Tonight was kind of slow at work because the fire dept had taken over all of Main Street to put out the fire in the building acroos the street from my work.
No one was seriously hurt, the lower two floors are day-time businesses and only one person was home in the apartments on the third floor--he got out before things got too bad.
I had my Bessa w/21mm with me and was the first photographer on the scene(not counting the 8 or 10 people with cel-phone cameras). Got some shots of the smoke billowing out of the 2nd floor windows and the fire fighters setting up.
I was trying to nicely elbow my way to the front of the crowd--or at least to get in front of the tall people blocking my view. Made it, shot one or two more frames when suddenly the glass front door(leads directly to the staircase going up) "popped" and blew glass, smoke, and the doorframe all over the street between me(and the restaurant I work at).
I discovered that I'm not especially cut out to be a journalist: my first reaction was to duck and run away from the action. I'm hoping that when the door went and I was startled(won't use the real expression for my reaction but I didn't have to change my pants at least) that I clenched my hand and the finger on the shutter--won't know until tomorrow afternoon when I get the C-41 BW film back from the local one hour place.
I took altogether 15 or 20 shots from various spots and had time to change the 21 for the J-9(the other lens I had with me).
When the local newspaper photog got there I offered to give him the film with only two conditions: I wanted the negs back after they were done with them and I wanted a photo credit if anything proved usable. He thanked me for the offer but declined as the paper has gone "completely digital."
I had time to do this as what few people we had in the Restaurant were too busy watching the spectacle to sit down and eat so I don't think I cooked for more than 10 or 12 folks all night. We gave away a lot of coffee, though.
OK, I'm still too wired to sit still for very long so I'm off to get on the outside of a few beers and relax abit before bed.
I'll post some pics tomorrow if I got anything decent. I suspect the building will have to come down(I hope I'm wrong) and I hope the two small businesses were insured well so the owners can at least think about starting up again.
Tomorrow,
Rob

bmattock · 10-19-2005

Wow, quite an evening! Glad no one got hurt, including you! Be careful! I think I get foolhardy around things like that. I'd wander into the damned thing looking through the viewfinder. But your response is much smarter!

Take care, let us see the pics!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Doug · 10-19-2005

Good reactions all the way through! Hope you got some good pics.

Kat · 10-20-2005

Looking forward to those pics! Survival instincts are always strong.

rbiemer · 10-20-2005

OK, there's another reason I'm a chef and not a news photographer: I suck at it.
Out of the 14 shots I took I've attatched the one that's halfway decent. The others are crap. I did put in an other roll of film and (I hope ) got some good shots of the clean up etc later but that film is Tri-X and I won't have those pics back for a week or so. And if they are any good, I'll have to get 'em scanned.
Rob

back alley · 10-20-2005

it's not a bad shot rob, you just needed to be closer to get 'the story' better.

bmattock · 10-20-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by back alley

it's not a bad shot rob, you just needed to be closer to get 'the story' better.

He was shootin' with a 20, as I recall. Prolly too close as it was!

rbiemer · 10-20-2005

Thanks, joe. But It doesn't show quite what I remember seeing. And the ultimate pic--just before this one-- I didn't take. I'm bummed about missing the shot but I really am happy my reactions were as the were: I saw later just how far the glass, etc was scattered about and if I had been brave/dumb enough to stand still and take the picture my story might've had a more personally unpleasant ending.
I still have good expectations about the "after" pictures as I wasn't in a hurry and my only concern was to not get in the way of the fire men and police while they put most of their stuff away(lot less critical than getting in the way while they're getting all the gear out)
Rob

back alley · 10-20-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmattock

He was shootin' with a 20, as I recall. Prolly too close as it was!

missed that!

ok, close enough.

joe

rbiemer · 10-20-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmattock

He was shootin' with a 20, as I recall. Prolly too close as it was!

The fireman in the center (walking back towards the fire) was maybe 8 feet(call it 2 & 3/4 meters) away from me. I was standing in front of and to the left of the light post with the hanging basket--just at the edge of the curb-- when the door popped. Something close to 35 feet(umm 11? meters) from the door.
On a slightly odd note, I'm actually glad that the newsguy didn't want my film as there is a picture of the building I took either Monday(or last Saturday) night--well before the fire-- we have to go outside to smoke and I was relaxing after work and standing out there with the Bessa and(I think) the J-8 lens and was shooting to see how slow I really can handhold that combo. As of the local news at noon today, there is no determination about the cause yet--doesn't mean any thing nefarious but it does mean the cause isn't obvious and the two pics on the same roll of film would at least had me answering some pointed questions.
Rob