I was in the BWCA Pagami Creek Fire on 9/12/11—the day that it spread an unprecedented 16 miles, due to extreme winds and unusually dry conditions.

These are just a couple of the pictures I snapped before the fire caught up to my friend and I on Square Lake. At that point we had to stop shooting and row for our lives to get to the relative safety of Kawishiwi.

I wish I could have been shooting the whole way; I wish I had video of the whole experience.

Above: A vertical panorama of the sun lighting up a column of smoke from a nearby fire.