Lowman Firestorm

It was a hot Saturday back in July of 1989. Tom Hadzor and I had just finished working the dayshift when we heard the anguished cries over the scanner calling for fire engines and hand crews, as many as posible. It was the big Lowman blowup, it was ominous, in the fire world it was Big Wednesday. We broadcast emergency announcements urging people to evacuate the town.

Hadzor had been promoted to photographer just the week before but I knew this guy had talent. I asked him if he was up to a night on the fireline and we drove into the jaws of the fire. We made it through the first 3 roadblocks but then the firestorm hit and the only traffic moving was coming from Lowman. We spiked out at the basecamp and talked to firefighters coming in off the lines they were spooked saying the storm packed high winds and 40 foot flames.
The PIO's promised a shot at first light, they said they had shut and pulled all firefighters out of Lowman.

We slept under a water truck that night, the only reporters at Morris Creek Summit...all other media was stuck in Idaho City. When we got into Lowman we couldnt believe the destruction....everything was flattened. Dead cows and horses were strewn about but there were no fatalities. Our story was an exclusive and John Patterson booked a Sat truck for us, this was my first satellite live and it went well.