RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - “When things go well it’s synergy and the fire is contained or corralled,” said photographer Kari Greer. “If conditions are ripe then it can be more challenging, with wind and drought-stricken trees and shrubs. That’s when you get the sixth sense, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and you are hyperaware.” The show at the MACC titled “Facing the Inferno” contains up to 64 of Greer’s thousands upon thousands of unique wildland fire photographs from fires in the west.

Greer studied photography and film production at California State University, Sacramento. She wanted an adventurous summer job and was able to make good money on a Forest Service fire crew in Washington State, working 16 hour days for four months.  “There is also a very real sense of awe when you’re witnessing fire,” Greer said. “The elements and the landscape become different animals and it is amazing to see.”

Curated by director Roger H. D. Rowley, Facing the Inferno originated from Prichard Art Gallery in Idaho.  Rowley said with Kari’s photos he knew they could create, “an exhibit of really high quality . . . timely, topical, popular, important, graphically and visually amazing.”  He narrowed down tens of thousands of Greer’s photos to about 300, then with help from Greer down to 64. “I had intense fire images, I had interactions between fire and people, I had aerial operations,” Rowley said. “To me it was important to have . . . very strong portraits of firefighters as well as community members and people impacted.”

Greer said it seems that fires are burning more frequently and for longer duration.  “In order to mitigate future tragedies like the Camp Fire, the Carr Fire and the Tubbs Fire, just to name a few, we need to accept that fires will happen and prepare ahead of time . . . the fire-prone condition of California’s landscape is a given and so everyone must contribute to creating safer buffers.  This falls to government and utilities all the way down to individuals.”

Also included in this exhibit are photos of Shane Grammer murals, painted on chimneys and rock walls left standing after fire destroyed Paradise, California. Grammer will present a Zoom lecture 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, March 3 and Greer a Zoom lecture 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, March 16. To join these lectures register in advance at https://www.rcmacc.org/exhibits/facing-the-inferno.

An important event during this exhibit at the MACC is a drive-through Fill the Boot for Burns, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, March 6 and 13. This will benefit the Firefighters Burn Institute, a nonprofit organization started by Fire Captain Cliff Haskell and Sacramento Firefighters Local 522 in 1973. The Institute provides recovery programs for burn survivors as well as burn treatment, rehabilitation, and education. Donations may also be made inside the MACC during open hours.

In addition, the Zintzuni Cocina Mexicana food truck will be in the MACC parking lot 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, March 6. “This is a great way to celebrate and support a small business,” said MACC curator Cheryl Gleason.

Greer continues to photograph and film fire for the Forest Service and the BLM under federal contracts.  “In recent years I have started working as a freelance shooter for large documentary production companies,” Greer said.  “They utilize my time in and hard-won understanding of protocol and tactics to get realistic footage.”

Facing the Inferno will be on view at the MACC Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from March 4 through March 20. Hours are 3-8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is free. The MACC is located at 10191 Mills Station Rd., Rancho Cordova. For more information about this exhibit or the MACC, please call Cheryl Gleason, 916-273-5712 or e-mail [email protected]. COVID-19 precautions are observed, masks are required.