South Yorkshire fire photographer tells of 'unique role' with the brigade

When a medical issue put paid to Tim Ansell's childhood ambition of becoming a firefighter, he picked up his camera instead and began documenting the work of his heroes. Now, almost four decades later, he explains to the BBC how his role as South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue's official photographer helped fulfil his burning passion.

Sitting in the break room of a fire station on the edge of Sheffield, Tim flicks through a digital gallery on his laptop, reminiscing about the multitude of fires and rescues he has been to over the past 40 years.

He pauses on a photo of a firefighter in a high-vis jacket and trousers, standing in front of the blackened carcass of a burning building.

"Look at how angry the flames are," he says, slightly shaking his head.

"The windows just popped from the heat. The metal, it's twisted like a rollercoaster."

The former Edlington Comprehensive School in Doncaster went up in flames in 2009 when an arsonist set fire to the derelict building.

It was one of Tim's first jobs as South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue's official photographer.

He had informally held the role since 1985, capturing the changing face of the brigade through the decades, but this was among his first incidents in an official capacity.

Aged 18, he applied to be a member of the brigade, knowing his eyesight might not be good enough to pass the tests.

"Crushed. I felt crushed," he says, when he was told he could not be a firefighter. He went back to his job at a warehouse in Sheffield with "a very empty feeling", he adds.

"But as in life, you have to carry on. I ended up being the photographer, so I've got a keen eye somewhere."

While he may not ride on the appliances, or help out at scenes, he still gets the 03:00 calls from the control centre when big incidents happen in the county.

Despite the early morning wake-up calls, the adrenaline of seeing the huge flames quickly brings him to life.

"I'm used to being woken from deep slumber by the dulcet tones of fire control, sent anywhere in our glorious county under the cover of darkness," he laughs.

"I'm there to safely capture the scene, be it for fire investigation, media or training purposes. It's a role that's totally unique."

He has been on hand to see big moments in the county's history, from a huge fire at Sheffield nightclub Gatecrasher, to documenting the recent floods. Each year, the fire service has advanced as it tries to keep firefighters safe.

"I've got so much respect for the fire service and the people that do the job through the years, and through my lens you see so much change," he says.

"They went to a lot more fires in '85, Sheffield was the steel city. A lot of that industry has gone, so the incidents that the fire service are turning out to now are very different to what they were in those days, and the appliances have changed, the protective kit has changed."

Tim's day job is as a carer, but he says he is constantly ready to be called upon. The camera is always charged and his protective boots live in the back of his car.

It is a job he takes very seriously and is incredibly proud to do.

To mark 50 years of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, a selection of his photos have gone on display for all to see.

He says it is a "privilege" to capture the work of the crews and wants to make sure the "great work that the fire service does doesn't get hidden".

"Adopted" by the Mansfield Road Green Watch back in the mid-80s, Tim said he got to know the firefighters well. They welcomed him in, and he returned the kindness by helping with the service's fire cadets scheme.

Since then, he has seen many come and go and considers them friends as well as colleagues.

He does get paid for his work, with his photos adjourning the walls of fire stations as well as newspaper front pages.

It is not just about the flames and the destruction, but the stories behind the people who are fighting them.

"It's incredible. It's people that want to help, and that's what the fire service is all about. Making someone's bad day just that little bit better. They go out them doors and they make a difference."

Reminiscing about jobs he's been to, one in particular sticks in his mind. A 2013 plastics fire on Foley Street in Sheffield, where "anything that could burn, did burn" on a hot summer's day.

"It absolutely snowballed from the back of the yard, right through to the front. And it just tore through that. I've never seen fire work as it did that day, and it was just untold damage. It absolutely ripped through it," he says.

Back in 2020, he says one of the saddest jobs he covered was a funeral of a firefighter who had passed away during Covid restrictions.

"An officer asked me because a lot of the family couldn't be there. That was one of the saddest parts of the job. Honour to be asked, but a sad duty to perform," he says.

"You never lost that love for the job, just an incredible place to be around, and incredible people to be around."

All fire photos are copyrighted to Tim Ansell.

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