Debris Fire (#197)

Labor Day, a debris fire broke out on the West side of Lima, near State Route 75. A pile of railroad ties caught fire and at least six local fire departments were called to the scene to help contain the blaze.

photos 09/06/10

West Street Fire (#151)

Last Tuesday, I left my apartment early to stop at the bank before work. As I checked traffic before pulling out of the lot, I noticed a cloud of black smoke hanging in the sky. I decided to turn toward the smoke, the opposite direction from work. As I called my boss to see if anything had come over the scanner, an ambulance and an emergency vehicle came speeding up behind me, followed closely by a firetruck. I followed them to West St. where a small house had caught fire. The owner and his son were in the house when it started, but were warned by neighbors and made it out safely. The owener's wife was a work when it started, but arrived home to see her home in flames. She collapsed in hysterics. The house, worth $43,000, was ruined.

FIRE (#126)

At approximately 8:50 this evening, I got a call from my fellow Lima intern, Jay. Fire. Address. I grabbed shoes, my cameras and ran. I could see the smoke over a mile away. I got to the scene and there was still a house. When I left, there wasn't.

About 10 minutes after I got to the scene, the fire chief pulled me aside and said, "You're gonna get more pictures than you'll even need on this one. This one's going to the ground." The above photo was chosen for dominant art on the front of tomorrow's Lima News. The following are a few of hundreds of photos I took at the scene.

Photos 03/01/10.