Photograph, Flames from Cameron Peak Fire

Description

The Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, and Pine Gulch fires proved to be the largest wildfires in Colorado history, burning a total of 625,356 acres throughout the northwest portion of the state in 2020. The Cameron Peak fire, which raged between August 13 and December 13 in Larimer and Jackson Counties, was the largest of the three. These photographs document the attempts of firefighters to contain the fire early on, an effort that would continue for four more months. Mark T. Spring, the photographer, is a Larimer County firefighter who was one of the first to respond to the fire. Between August 13-17, he and his fellow firefighters utilized several different kinds of equipment and vehicles, including planes and helicopters, to stave off and contain the flames. He and his colleagues traveled to several areas in and around Rustic, Chambers Lake, Masonville, Bellvue, and Redstone Canyon. The photographs depict the various pieces of equipment used, many of the different locations that Mark travelled to, damage from the fire, and the actual fire and smoke.

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