Shot from a car moments after noticing the smoke.

Last Thursday I was in a car with two other journalists, getting ready to leave Waterloo for a Jay's game when we saw smoke on the horizon. Two minutes later the three of us were running towards huge plumes of black billowing smoke at a construction site.

A lift had caught fire and what looked like an internal explosion had ripped the metal frame open igniting several other small fires in the immediate vicinity. The fire was contained by the time we arrived but by no means out.

I set out to capture the motion of water dousing the lift. With flames still erupting from within it was the first strong image I saw. I slowed my shutter and clicked away. Happy with the results, I began to search for a better photo.

When the three firefighters started sifting through smoldering rubble I moved ahead of them to frame the lift in the back and it became a much stronger image.

I was lucky to catch the firefighter mid kick. The action sealed the deal that this was the right photo.

A jog to the office, quick selection and edit later, we were back on the road to the game. Never a dull moment.