The Burn

One of the guys from my platoon posted this photo from 29yrs ago taken during the Gulf War of the fires started by Iraqi forces. This is the view we had flying our helicopters through the oil field fires and what the skies looked like for what otherwise would have been a sunny day. This was also the first time I had chance to work with the British Desert Rats - great group. Yes - the orange orb is the sun
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Dec 7 2019
Thanks Marc and Ken. As with most photos, it does not provide the magnitude of the experience actually being in the middle of it. And for what the photo does show, it only worsened as the oil fires burned for many days to the point that at ground level it was not escapable. We essentially were in the middle of it and visibility was greatly diminished. It was only after the US Gov brought in the fire containment specialist from the US that the well fires were brought under control by detonating exposives at the well head to snuff out the oxygen which mitigated the burn.
jason_gilligan · Dec 9 2019
It looked scary then and it still does. I can't imagine what it was like to witness at ground level.
kenwhite · Dec 8 2019
An incredible image, Jason.
marc · Dec 8 2019
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