Combustion needs only oxygen and triple digit degrees. I've never seen a fire as big as the effigy of Ganesh, and yet, I ended up running straight for it. Those flames had to hit over one hundred feet in the air. I mean, look at those little people. Now, look deeper. I had some of my flash equipment clamped onto that little pile of palettes which were perhaps some 35 feet away from that mighty proboscid.

Now, look deeper into that mesmerism. I had flash equipment clamped onto that little pile of palettes. They were perhaps some 35 feet away from that mighty, wooden proboscid. The flames spread exponentially with my worry, the crowd backed up further and further, and then someone exclaimed, "Oh my! The palettes are starting to smoke!" If wood was smoldering, what would it be doing to beloved plastic? I darted desperately to the safety team, who said no way they were going in there but I could certainly run for it if I wanted to. And that's why I ended up tearing straight towards the blazing, face-searing, air-blasting inferno. I tugged the palette, trying to dislodge it. I slipped in the mud, feeling the fool in front of hundreds of onlookees. With the heat overwhelming me, I attempted a few seconds of relief by ducking low behind the small wooden barrier. The realization sunk in as to why the choice to jump from burning skyscrapers was so preferable. With morbid, frantic thoughts licking my brain, eadrenaline kicked in and all my body focused on ripping that little wooden square out from amongst its smoldering friends and across the soggy dirt back to where the fire controllers awaited me with Mai Tai's. I was slightly in shock after that experience and put the dripping plastic that used to be my pocketwizard in my car. All desire to shoot photographs dropped away. That may explain the lack thereof.

Labels: Burn, Events, Photos