Forest fires are a fact of nature. They are the earth’s way of hitting the reset button on ecosystems out of balance, paving the way for regeneration and renewed growth. This happens regardless of whether fires are sparked by natural forces like lightning, or through the careless acts of humans. And as many are now increasingly aware, forest fires have also become more common in the last couple decades. Canadian wildfires have recently been sending far reaching plumes of smoke, impacting unlikely regions and making headlines in places like New York City.
Besides the dramatic scenes of firefighters battling scorching flames, there are scenes left behind that most never see in daily headline news. Those are the post apocalyptic panoramas of blackened earth and burnt matchstick trees.
In the wake of a recent fire, Glenn King and a friend took the opportunity to explore just such a landscape. They set out with their bikes and photography equipment in tow to capture the ironically eerie beauty that contrasts the seeming lifeless devastation of black char.
Here’s how Glenn described the setting and occasion: “A friend was driving through McBride and noticed that a forest fire had recently burned through the trails. He told me it looked pretty cool and would be a sweet setting to shoot some photos, so we made a plan to head there the following weekend.
"We camped at a nice recreation site on the mountain, and then shot photos the following morning and evening while the light was low. The trails are mostly dirt so they were still in good shape for the most part.
"Was a pretty unique setting to explore!”
