BURNED

In 2008 U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,451,500 fires. These fires resulted in 3,320 civilian fire fatalities, 16,705 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $15,478,000,000 in direct property loss. (The direct property loss includes the California Wildfires 2008 with an estimated property loss of $1,400,000,000.) There was a civilian fire death every 158 minutes and a civilian fire injury every 31 minutes in 2008.

In 2008 home fires caused 2,755, or 83%, of the civilian fire deaths. 403,000 fires or 78% of all structure fires occurred in residential properties.

In 2008 every 22 seconds, a fire department responded to a fire somewhere in the nation. A fire occured in a structure at the rate of one every 61 seconds, and in particular a residential fire occurs every 78 seconds. (Source: National Fire Protection Association Fire Loss in the U.S. 2008.)

The above series of images were created from items in the Harrisonburg Fire Department’s fire safety exhibit. The charred and burned items collected by the fire department from fires in the city have been a staple of the department’s fire safety education program for over 20 years according to fire chief Larry Shifflett.

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Remains of a fire - a portion of a melted computer keyboard.

I got the idea to photograph items from fires while covering the Harrisonburg Fire Department’s fire safety education display exhibited at the Valley Mall in the city each year.

I was struck by how many of the items look like some sort of modern art, even thought I know a tragedy was responsible for the weirdly textured, melted and charred items.

Every time I return to the scene of a fire with investigators for follow-up stories, I am moved by the destruction fire can cause. Seeing pieces of a family’s life burned and soaking wet is a humbling experience.  I’ve often thought that if more people could tour a home after a fire, they would be extra careful in their own homes.

While that is not possible, I decided to go for the next best thing. I hope people who see these photographs realize the devastation fire can cause, and it moves them to do everything they can to prevent fire in their own homes.

It does not happen often, but last night I got the late call about a fire near where I live. The reporter who called said it probably was nothing big. At least nothing big as far as a newspaper is concerned, but probably a big deal to the homeowner.

So, I jumped off the couch, missing the end of CSI, and headed a couple of blocks down the road to see what was going on.

When I arrived, it was pretty much under control. One of the police officers on the scene said it appeared to be an electrical fire in the basement that was brought under control fairly quickly. All that remained as a lot of smoke.

I called it in to the paper and told them that it was not anything major, again as far as a newspaper is concerned, but I figured I may as well hang out a bit to see if there was a photo to be made. I admit it is nothing special, but I am always fascinated by the way light plays through smoke at night with shadows and silhouettes.

Not a great photo, but still kind of interesting I think.