Private Project

FOREST ON FIRE

The Eagle Creek Fire ravaged the Columbia River Gorge, causing communities to evacuate, and stranding 150 day-hikers who dramatically had to hike nearly 20 miles to safety. The fire was set by a 15-year-old boy who threw a lit firework into a dry ravine on the Eagle Creek Trail. This film includes accounts from an eyewitness who saw the boy start the fire, the stranded hikers, and people from the communities that persevered and took care of each other.

  • Reed Harkness
    Director
    Sam Now
  • Reed Harkness
    Producer
    Sam Now
  • Heather Hawksford
    Producer
  • Jason Reid
    Producer
    Dirtbag: the Legend of Fred Beckey
  • Darren Lund
    Editors
    Dirtbag: the Legend of Fred Beckey
  • Jason Reid
    Editors
    Dirtbag: the Legend of Fred Beckey
  • Topic
    Studio
    Spotlight, Dark Money, Leave No Trace
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 50 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 20, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Wild and Scenic Film Festival
    Nevada City, CA
    United States
    January 18, 2019
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Spokane International Film Festival
    Spokane, WA
    United States
    February 1, 2019
    Best Short Documentary
  • Ashland Independent Film Festival
    Ashland, Oregon
    United States
    April 12, 2019
    Audience Award Best Short Documentary, Special Mention, Excellence in Documentary Production
Distribution Information
  • Topic
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Reed Harkness

Reed Harkness passionately attended film school in his backyard and garage. At age 18, he began making a series of short films starring his younger brother Sam. This started a 20 year in the making project, Sam Now!, which Reed hopes to complete in 2020. Sam Now! is a coming- of-age film that follows his younger brother Sam from age 11 to age 31. It is a Pioneer fund recipient, Humanities Washington grant recipient Seattle City Artist recipient, 4 Culture recipient, and a RACC recipient.

Reed has become a highly respected and sought after director and cinematographer, collaborating with organizations and agencies as a creative filmmaker and as a traditional production company. He has directed, and shot a wide variety of high end projects including the Webby Award- winning film for Google "Made w/ Code", projects for Nike, with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Serena Williams and other star athletes, and collaborations with Weiden+Kennedy on campaigns for Starbucks and Travel Oregon. Reed also continues to do creative documentaries, including making of documentaries for feature films including Laika’s ParaNorman.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Filmmakers Reed Harkness and Heather Hawksford live in Portland, OR, less than an hour from the beautiful Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. On the weekend the Eagle Creek Fire started, they were swimming in the Washougal river on the Washington side of the Gorge when a blanket of ash started flowing down river. All that week, ash rained on Portland and the surrounding area, and the air quality was intolerable. Before the fire, Reed, Heather, and their three kids would make the quick trip from Portland to the Gorge regularly to hike, swim, and get a good dose of its breathtaking scenery. The fire was heartbreaking for all of them as they grieved the loss of one of their favorite places. The making of this film taught them about the local communities that were directly affected by the fire, and the generosity and resilience of those communities as well as the resilience of the forest itself.