A major disaster with at least 66 homes lost in Pocatello, from a sudden brush fire with very strong winds plus junipers and steep hillsides. A high dollar neighborhood and long established, I know a few who lost it all. But they do have insurance anyway. I triple checked the ceiling/floor limits of the TFR, (9K) plus called the Poky tower, and was at 9K and some small change when I flew the few miles across the valley from my place. NO fire bombers were in the air. Shooting at that height sucked but my trusty Nikon came through again and I got the only from the air shots until some very shakey chopper flights late in the day. I emailed them to the local rag by 9 AM, then made some big prints and drove into town and went to a few of the evacuation centers, where people were milling around wondering if they still had a house. Lastly I dropped the prints at the biggest center, a local church. I made some people happy and some just lost it. I couldn't believe the amazement of most, some asked me several times how I got the pictures, AFTER I had told them I was a pilot, another reminder of just how out of the main stream for most is what we take for granted.

At the closet city fire station, I was showing the on duty guys the pics, when the BLM incident commander came along and was ready to confiscate them because they seemed to provide him with his only aerial info...., I kept them and got his email, and sent them to his smart phone, which all the BLM fire fighters carry nowadays. I was and am stunned no other local pilots got on this, or other official agencies, as a way to spread the info on the damage to the people most effected, hell you would have thought it was the 1920's or something. I once mentioned to the head sheriff (my crane yard is right close to their compound and we see each other all the time) "Hey if something ever comes up and you need an eye and a camera in the sky RIGHT NOW, give me a call," he responded with a laugh and said "Oh, we can't do that for insurance purposes". I wonder where the hell the local CAP boys were, to me it was obvious as hell that a quick flight would be hugely helpful right now, not days later. They are keeping everyone out until Monday, word is, and we're talking a thousand people or more.

Well done. Making positive use of aviation when it counts. Thank you.

thanks for helping out......they will remember you,it will payback in spades

Good job cg!

Here in AK, when a forest fire gets going, we have to have a meeting. When our Canadian neighbors have one, they just go put it out.

X2 well done CG.
I know if my home was in there and I wasn't allowed to go in for a day or two,I would be very grateful for the photo.

Well done CG. My wife has family that lost their house in that fire. How devastating!

CW

The natives are getting restless. They still have the entire area locked down and places far from the burned area are locked out , like the houses on the right of the paved road in the picture. People are getting pissed, no info, just stay out, we'll let you know when it's safe. The nanny state at its worst. Though no aircraft have flown in almost 24 hours, the TFR remains in effect. They are talking at least until Monday, downed powerlines is the cause, but locking down such a huge area is just gross overkill. BUT, they are the government, so they must know what they are doing.

Good work CG. I was gonna fly down yesterday morning but got tied up.

Just fyi, It is the county that is controlling everything. They are being completely rediculous.

Man!! The west is burning up! Not to take away from your pictures CG, but......
This is the town of Last Chance Colorado east of Denver out on the plains. My understanding the fire started from a tire blown and hot wheel. Heard it burned 43,000 acres. The fire surrounded the small town and 11 structures were lost. The two power lines, one belonging to Western Area Power Admin. that I used to work for, lost 41 H structures. Several ranches in the vicinity were saved by fire fighters.