This past Monday morning I was called to Sandy City to shoot my 5,468 house fire, or was it 5,469, I cant recall at the moment, either way it was another house fire.
After arriving on scene and hopscotching over a dozen haphazardly laid fire hoses, I was stopped in my tracks. Not by the police, but by a bystander that I guess was trying to get daily intake of smoke thick enough you could cut with a knife, so I thought anyway.
Nope that person wanted to know why I was there shooting this poor families house that was going up in flames. Ouch!!
That comment got me reminiscing about another house fire I shot a back about oh a thousand house fire ago, in Clinton Utah.
Once that story hit air, people from all over were showing up at this house fire in Clinton to see what they could do to help. Within five minutes of that story hitting the television, a man showed up to offer his companies construction services free of charge to help rebuild the house. Others came by to say there setting up a food and money donation spot at local grocery store, and yet another came by to say that all the teachers from a local school were gathering money to help out.
I'll admit, using all twenty digits on my hands and feet is about the amount of stories that I've shoot that have had such a positive outcome. A story that has actually gathered a community together to come to someone else's aid, I'd like to think I helped out with that community gathering in one way or another!
So, the next time you see a news photographer at story that you wish they were not, remember its for a reason. Not only to inform viewers about what is happening in their community, but to also let them now how they might be able to help out.
Aaron Kimbell - News Photographer
