Wildfire images featured in Upcountry Historical past Museum’s subsequent exhibit

Artists might discover inspiration in sudden locations. For photographer Kari Greer of Idaho, a summer time job in faculty as a firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service opened the door to a greater than 25-year profession as a wildfire photographer.

Her work can be on show from July to October at Greenville’s Upcountry Historical past Museum.

Being launched to preventing wildfires

Greer was first uncovered to preventing wildfires when she took a summer time job in 1994 at Gifford Pinchot Nationwide Forest in Washington whereas she was attending California State College, the place she majored in movie manufacturing and images.

Following her first summer time, Greer stated she developed a ardour for the job and returned three extra summers the place she labored on a Sort 2 IA hand crew, a 20-person staff the place they’d take hearth assignments, dig handlines, conduct burn operations, mop up, combat fires and do rehabilitation following fires.

Transitioning from firefighter to wildfire photographer

As soon as faculty was behind her, Greer stated she took her two passions and mixed them by working as a firefighter by way of 1997 after which acquiring a contract with the U.S. Forest Service in 1998 to {photograph} fires.

“Pictures was principally my old flame after which throughout faculty, I began preventing hearth and the 2 simply mingled,” Greer stated. “It was like such a clean transition. It was such an exquisite area of interest to fall into.”

Utilizing firefighter coaching to remain secure on the job

Whereas Greer is just not actively employed as a firefighter, she has maintained her {qualifications} by finishing a health course and fire-line certification coaching every year.

Each time she goes into the sector, she stated she credit her coaching and expertise for permitting her to remain secure whereas doing her job and speaking with firefighting groups on the scene.

“I consider you actually need to have hearth expertise and perceive the incident-command system with a purpose to function effectively on the market,” stated Greer. “(You want) to know the way to be in the proper place on the proper time and the way to talk with different hearth assets so that you’re a part of the group that’s on the market. (You must) attempt to be as seamless as attainable and never get in the way in which.”

Taking a profession and turning it into an exhibit

Drawing from Greer’s 25-year profession, the Moscow Up to date Artwork Gallery in Moscow, Idaho, compiled a 64-photo exhibit, “Dealing with the Inferno: The Wildfire Pictures of Kari Greer,” which is able to characteristic pictures from 85 fires throughout 9 states.

The exhibit will run from July 1 to Oct. 22 on the Upcountry Historical past Museum in Greenville. It will likely be accompanied by a companion exhibition with artifacts and archival supplies centered on wildfires and wildland firefighting within the Carolinas.

For extra data, go to upcountryhistory.org.

States the place Greer has photographed wildfires

• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Idaho
• Montana
• Utah
• Washington
• Wyoming