This photograph was taken in Chicago in around 1990 with my Nikon SE SLR. The fire smoldered for days.

The old tire warehouse was on the Chicago River; firefighters used boats to spray water on the fire. That pinpoint of light in the smoke is the light of the boat. This was taken in late afternoon light, but it felt like dusk.

While I am deathly afraid of fire, it was fascinating to get so close to this huge warehouse still burning. I actually went into that doorway of the building; it was probably not the smartest thing to do, but I was drawn to it.

I love the composition of this photograph because of the way it focuses on the light behind the darkness, like good versus evil. I have taken the liberty of changing the hue of the original print a bit. While AGFA Brovira has a warm tone, I made it more rosy to show the heat.