The day started like any other Saturday morning. I was at the community garden, about to run some errands when I got the call to cover the La Tuna Fire. I had been following news of the fire, and as it intensified I had the buzzing suspicion I should be ready to spring into action at any point.

From my time working in the Midwest, I have become comfortable with floods, tornados, and blizzards. But, I have never even seen a wildfire. The earth in front of me was on fire - slowly, fiercely jumping down the hillside. It's unpredictable nature. The whirling, creaking, popping gasps of noise. The way that it formed a life and environment of its own, was like nothing I have seen. A quiet sort of chaos.

That being said, this was one of the most terrifying, surreal scenes of my recent life.

While making images, I was constantly concerned that I was missing the most important images. That I wasn't in the right spot. That I was missing the shot. As a photojournalist, this feeling is not abnormal with new events, but my lack of experience with wildfires brought that feeling front and center.

I used my endurance skills to outweigh my inexperience. I climbed a few different hills so many times, all my gear on my hips and shoulders, it felt like a combination of hiking a marathon and running for my life. I ran around in circles and got to as many angles as I could within the day. The smoky air, continually reminding me of my physical limitations.

I'm very thankful for the photo staff who helped me navigate through the coverage.

As the staffer put it after my first day of coverage:

"Welcome to California ... you have been officially baptized"

Thanks for looking!

-Kyle