Blaze of glory: Firefighter documents heroic efforts of fire departments in New Jersey

A FIREFIGHTER literally puts himself in the line of fire in order to capture the devastation and beauty of each blaze

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Firefighter clears out window to ventilate the fire

Taken over a three year period, the powerful images capture the brave men and women serving in fire departments across New Jersey.

Sidelined due to injury, photographer and New Jersey firefighter David Hernandez decided he wanted to document the daily life of his former colleagues.

Fireman smiles after a fire is finally put out

The images highlight the dangers of the job but also reinforce the camaraderie among firefighters risking their lives going toe-to-toe with mother nature.

He said: “Whether you call it historical documentation or something else, I feel the responsibility to record what my brothers and sisters are doing.

David Hernandez wanted to document the efforts of his fellow firefighters

“Shooting fires is like shooting sports. If you haven't played the sport, it is harder to anticipate when things are going to happen.

"Since I've fought fires, it's easy to understand what will happen next.”

Brave firefighter brings in more hose to tackle the fire inside the property

The 30-year-old became a voluntary fireman in New Jersey in 2000 and has been taking photographs of fires since 2007.

However, in 2015 he sustained a serious injury to his back during a fire in which he slipped and fell down a staircase.

David wanted to show people the risks firefighters take each day they are on the job

He said: "This past December, I decided to change my focus on photographing firefighters.

"It was hard taking the news that I can't go back to firefighting - something I've done for my entire adult life so far."

Photographer David Hernandez takes a breather after the firefighters put out another fire

David, whose stepfather was a firefighter, started his love affair with the profession at the age of 14 when he enrolled to become a junior firefighter.

Forced by his injury to remain a spectator, he decided to combine his love for firefighting with the media skills learned during his communications degree by creating an online docu-reality series in which he shadows his former colleagues in New Jersey.

Firefighters hurry to scene of a house fire

David has also been documenting the firefighters for his online docu-reality series, 'in to the smoke'

He said: “The pilot season has had nearly 3.5 million views on YouTube. We started to film another season, but I was injured a couple months into filming.”

Despite his injury David is determined to continue to document firefighters and the incredible work they do.

An injury to David's back forced him to focus on his photography

City of Camden firefighters respond to a massive blaze

He said: “Fifty years from now I want someone to flip through a book and know the courage and sacrifice that people were making in our time.

"I want the impact of these images to be timeless. I love that every time someone sees the photos for the first time they say ‘wow!' and look closer at the image.”