10/08/2026
You may have noticed some changes to this page recently, including a new name and branding. What was previously known as WV Fire Buffs is now Upper Ohio Valley Fire Archives.
I wanted to take a moment to explain this transition, both to those who have followed our work for years and to those who have only recently discovered the page.
Our organization originally began as a five-member group with two advisers from the Wheeling Fire Department. From 2014 to 2024, Wheeling Fire Buffs documented the activities of the Wheeling Fire Department by responding to fires, rescues, and other emergencies to capture photographs and videos. We operated with the department's permission, and our activities were welcomed and supported by the firefighters.
This type of work is commonly known as "fire buffing," and it has been an important part of my life for more than 25 years.
Throughout my career, I've spent over 20 years photographing and documenting firefighters in Wheeling, West Virginia, and another five years in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, region. Three of those years were dedicated to documenting the career firefighters of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, while two years focused on volunteer fire departments and emergency responses throughout northern Allegheny County.
Over the past 25 years, I've accumulated an extensive historical collection of fire service photography and video. My archives now contain approximately 120 GB of material documenting the Wheeling Fire Department and nearly 20 GB covering the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and other Pennsylvania fire departments.
In early 2026, I donated my Wheeling Fire Department photography collection to the Ohio County Public Library's Wheeling Room, where these historical materials will be available to the public free of charge.
That donation helped inspire the next chapter of this project.
I wanted to create something that went beyond documenting current emergency responses. I wanted a platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the fire service throughout the Upper Ohio Valley, including Wheeling, Pittsburgh, and the surrounding communities.
That is the purpose behind Upper Ohio Valley Fire Archives.
Moving forward, this page will place a greater emphasis on historical photographs, videos, stories, apparatus, firefighters, and memorable incidents from the past several decades. My goal is to make this collection accessible not only to the people who lived through these events but also to younger generations who may have never seen this part of our region's fire service history.
I also want to clarify that this change does not mean I'm abandoning fire photography or refusing to share current incidents. I'll continue accepting photographs and videos submitted by others, including footage of emergency responses and working fires.
Personally, however, I'm shifting my focus away from actively responding to incidents as a fire buff and concentrating more on preserving, organizing, and sharing the historical materials I've collected throughout my career.
After more than 25 years of documenting firefighters and their work, I believe it's time to give that history a permanent home.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this project over the years, especially the firefighters, departments, families, and community members who have welcomed me and allowed me to document their work.
I hope you'll continue following Upper Ohio Valley Fire Archives as I begin sharing more than two decades of fire service history from Wheeling, Pittsburgh, and the surrounding region.
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