Fire on the Mountain photography exhibition

Fire on the Mountain:

Photographs of Wildland Firefighting by Kyle Miller

A special exhibition opening October 26, 2024

John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery

Intense flames, dramatic skies, firefighters at work, aircraft dropping fire retardant, ember trails, a “fire whirl” ascending.
A new special exhibition at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West shares dramatic images of wildland firefighting taken by a hotshot firefighter in the thick of the action.

Fire on the Mountain: Photographs of Wildland Firefighting by Kyle Miller invites visitors to understand the complexities of wildland fires and the brave people who combat them. Photographed by Wyoming Hotshot Captain Kyle Miller, Fire on the Mountain provides an intimate encounter with the realities of a changing climate.

Kyle began photographing wildfires in 2004 while serving on a fire crew in Montana. Over the past 20 years, he has gradually upgraded his camera equipment to better capture the fleeting moments of these intense natural events.

A resident of Cody, Wyoming, Kyle joined the Wyoming Interagency Hotshot crew in 2010. Hotshots are highly trained, specialized wildland firefighters who use various ground tactics and hand tools to slow and stop fires from spreading. The work is physically strenuous, mentally taxing, and requires a high level of conditioning in both body and mind.

The images in this exhibition highlight two primary themes: Fire Ecology and the Human Element of Wildland Firefighting. As you explore the sampling of images here, reflect on how wildfires impact your life and influence the landscapes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Members Exhibition Preview

Are you a Buffalo Bill Center of the West member? If so, join us for a special members preview the evening before the exhibition opens to the public!

All images by Kyle Miller

A Wyoming Hotspot's saw squad pose with their chain saws on a massive Douglas fir limb in Northern California in 2014.

Fire retardant is a specially formulated chemical mixture used to slow down or suppress wildfires. The characteristic red or pink color aids pilots and ground crews in knowing where retardant has been applied.

Kyle Miller set up his camera and tripod to take some long exposures at night, such as this one of the Pedro Mountain Fire in 2019.

Sawyer in the Sunrays.

Watching it Roll.

Crown fires occur when flames spread from treetop to treetop. These fires can be extremely difficult to control, often exacerbated by dry conditions and high winds, and resulting in intense heat and rapid spreading. A sawyer from the Wyoming Hotshots walks along the edge of a firing operation in Lassen National Park.

In this 20 second, single exposure, the Alder Creek Fire burns along the Bighole River in Montana with the Pintler Mountains in the background.

A fire whirl forms when intense heat from a fire creates a rotating column of air, which can draw in burning embers and debris, potentially causing the fire to spread rapidly and unpredictably.

Lighters on Rankin. Thick wildfire smoke can significantly reduce visibility by scattering light and creating a haze in the atmosphere.

A Skycrane is a highly specialized helicopter originally designed for military use. Able to life extremely heavy loads like equipment, water, and retardant, it significantly enhanced wildland firefighting by providing versatile aerial support in remote areas.

"The Ember Tree is the longest single exposure I've taken. To the eye it was almost hard to tell this tree was burning except for the occasional lonely ember drifting down. We were monitoring a prescribed burn through the night in Custer State Park. Most fuels there are flashy fuels, meaning they burn out quickly, leaving us with a fairly slow night. I was able to use a pocket tripod and leave the camera with the shutter open for nearly an hour creating the wild ember trails. For reference, there's another shot of this tree called Single Ember. It's a picture of the same tree but with only a 30 second exposure. The result is a single ember trail drifting down and a mostly dark tree."

Kyle Miller

Hotshot Firefighter / Photographer

Tools of the Trade

In “Sawyer Silhouette,” a wildland firefighter carries gear including a chainsaw against a backdrop of thick smoke and an orange glow.

Sawyers undertake specialized training and must earn the appropriate certifications to operate chainsaws and to identify and mitigate hazards to ensure their own safety and the safety of their crew.