Shooting Video of the Super Scoopers

The wind was a sustained 30 mph, and so holding the video camera steady was impossible. (photo: Bill Fickett)

Scoopers at Work

Shot these today during lunch at Castaic Dam. Very, VERY windy work for the pilots. Next time you bump into a group of firefighters at a donut shop or restaurant, maybe spring for their coffee--their jobs, almost without exception, are dangerous.

Bill Fickett: Photojournalist

A Big Sikorsky Doing Its Thing

This big, orange bus--a Sikorsky S-61--was working from Castaic Lake. Six helicopters were taking turns loading water to fight two fires in the area. (photo: Bill Fickett)

A Few Miles East of Castaic Lake

Amuse of Fire

Bill finds something humorous in the major fire burning across the lake. Note his skin tone is pink due to the smoke-filtered sunlight.

Castaic, West of I-5

Near John Daley's Home

Near Seco and Bouquet

Four Miles from Home

There Goes the Neighborhood

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Buddy Boy

Carcass #10

On the way to worship Sunday morning, I passed a trailer hauling away wreckage from the I-5 tunnel accident. The flattened, charred mass was once a tractor trailer. The number 10 was spray painted on the truck--I'm assuming the accident investigators numbered each vehicle involved. Very sad.