Described by one viewer as 鈥渂eautiful and yet intensely scary and powerful,鈥� a photo capturing the Big Dipper, an aurora and the glowing Shovel Lake wildfire all at once is bringing both shock and awe.
Photographer David Luggi, who lives in Fraser Lake, was able to use a 30-second exposure to capture the trifecta just after midnight Friday.
鈥淚鈥檓 standing on the southern shore of Fraser Lake, at White Swan park, and the winds are favourable so I was able to see the fire and the smoke and fortunately clear enough that the Big Dipper was captured in it as well,鈥� he said.
Luggi, who鈥檚 been , was originally planning to get a night-photo of the Island Lake fire burning to the south, but winds weren鈥檛 working in his favour. Luggi admitted it鈥檚 quite an incredible photo given the three weeks of haze that has blanketed his community.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 seen the stars in so many days,鈥� he said. 鈥淐apturing the devastation here, as sad as it is, I think it鈥檚 almost the perfect shots.鈥�
The photo has since been making waves online, reaching 2,500 shares since being posted Saturday morning.
鈥淪ad about the fire, But man, This is A Great photo,鈥� one person commented.
鈥淏eauty within a horrible situation,鈥� said another.
The wildfire, burning about 78,000 hectares in size between Fort St. James and Fraser Lake has been the cause of much despair and angst for hundreds of people who live in the communities nearby.
| Some of the photos in recent weeks shot of wildfires near Fraser Lake, shot by David Luggi. |
Luggi and his family鈥檚 home is about one kilometre outside of the area in the village that has been ordered to evacuate.
鈥淣o doubt there鈥檚 a lot of anxiety here, but at the same time I think we鈥檙e kind of getting used to it,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e beginning to realize this is the new normal, and the reason I say that is because the mountain pine beetle that has killed a lot of the trees here over the last 20 years has come to a point it鈥檚 been standing for 10 to 15 years longer and is dried up and ready to burn in a situation like this.鈥�
Dealing with the unknown predictably will lead to the concern many local residents have, Luggi said, but the communication from officials has helped ease some of the anxiety.
鈥淓verybody is kind of getting used to process it and understanding how the information is being relayed.鈥�
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ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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