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Moon Dust 

© Robert LeBlanc

Moon Dust is a collection of images shot over a length of 4 years by photographer Robert LeBlanc documenting hotshot firefighters in Montana and California. A huge majority of the images were taken at the August Complex wildfire of 2020, which is currently the largest wildfire in California History. Burning throughout the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Mendocino National Forest, and Six Rivers National Forest. Initially sparked by a lightning storm, the wildfire burned for a total of three months, scorching 1,032,648 acres. Rarely do photographers gain intimate access to hotshot crews while on remote wildfires? The images give an intimate vision of what it's like battling such an unpredictable natural disaster and how these firefighters risk their lives everyday.

"I’ve spent a fair amount of time in dodgy situations by virtue of spending my life behind a camera. But there is nothing that compares to being up close to a wildfire. It’s humbling, terrifying, and entrancing all at the same time."




click to view the complete set of images in the archive 

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