Fire of Love revisits tragedy of French volcanologists who died in 1991

French volcanologists Maurice Kraft and Katia Kraft have carved out illustrious careers by daring to go where most of their colleagues were afraid to set foot: right next to an erupting volcano. . The photographs and video footage they documented in the 1970s and his 1980s contributed to major breakthroughs in their chosen field. Unfortunately, on June 3, 1991, the couple’s luck ran out in a massive pyroclastic flow from the eruption of Mount Unzen in Japan. The striking image above shows her Katia Krafft in a thermal suit, dwarfed by a wall of fire, love fire, A 2022 National Geographic documentary about this extraordinary couple is now streaming on Disney+.

Director Sara Dosa, in one of her earlier documentary segments, was scrutinizing archival images of volcano images (seer and invisible) is set in Iceland when she stumbles upon Kraft’s story. “I was completely enamored with the nature of their relationship,” she recalled. It was close.” Except for some new footage shot by cinematographer Pablo Alvarez Mesa, the entire film consists of archival footage.

Maurice and Katia (née Conrad) Kraft met at the University of Strasbourg and married in 1970. Katya graduated in Physics and Chemistry and Maurice studied Geology. He has been fascinated by volcanoes since he was seven years old during his family trips to Naples and Stromboli. Katya shared the fascination and one of his first excursions as a couple was a trip to Stromboli, where he took pictures of the eruption.

That launched their career as volcanologists. They were often the first to appear at active volcanoes, going to the edge to capture vivid still photos and videos of eruptions, creating footage that made them the envy of their peers. Samples were taken and data carefully recorded. She has written numerous books to fund her many trips and has also created a volcano documentary for PBS. According to her Leanne Wiberg, who knew the Kraft family when she worked at the Smithsonian nearly 30 years ago, they often resorted to giving talks at nursing homes to raise money.

The Krafts traveled relatively lightly when it came to personal items, preferring to reserve limited suitcase space for their gear. “If the volcano erupted, they couldn’t go back to France and get their favorite cameras and hot suits, so they went to Goodwill stores in the US when they landed,” Wiberg told Ars. “The hot suits alone took up an entire suitcase. Their supplies were being shipped from France, so they didn’t have any luxuries or extra clothing.”

The couple decided to document the eruption of Mount Unzen in the late spring of 1991. That year he had several small debris flows that started on May 15th and the first small pyroclastic flow formed on May 24th. The next few days, and much of the surrounding area was evacuated. But the Krafts, American geologist Harry Glicken, several media teams, and various locals may have fallen into a false sense of security about their ability to avoid pyroclastic flows.

“The goal was for Morris to get a side view of the pyroclastic flow,” says Wiberg. “The laminar flow is slower than the swirling overlap at the top, which is why these cauliflower feathers are shaped. [The Kraffts] We set it up on a ridge they thought was far enough away to be protected by another ridge. But things didn’t go as planned. “

The cause of June 3’s massive pyroclastic flow (10 times larger than previous pyroclastic flows) is disputed, but it was 500,000 cubic meters of solidified lava that broke off when the lava dome collapsed. There is a possibility. According to geologist Jess Phoenix, author of Ms. Adventures: My Wild Exploration in Science, Lava, and Life (Paperback will be published next month), pyroclastic flows can travel as fast as 435 mph (700 kilometers per hour). “I can’t stress enough how devastating pyroclastic flows are,” Phoenix told his Ars, likening the currents to highly effective bulldozers. “At the bottom of the pyroclastic flow are heavy rocks of various sizes, above which are superheated clouds of glowing ash and gas. They are strong enough to wipe town buildings from existence. And, If you have concrete and rebar if you have a strengthened structure, the rebar will bend sideways.”

Those still in the danger zone had no chance against the fast-moving current. Mr. and Mrs. Kraft’s bodies were found lying side by side near the rental car, burned beyond recognition, and Glicken’s body was found a short distance away. The 43 casualties also included 16 media personnel, 12 firefighters, 4 taxi drivers, 2 police officers, 2 city council employees and 4 local farmers. Kraft’s footage of the event was destroyed, but in 2005 another (melted) video camera by a deceased media reporter was recovered, and the tape was miraculously still playable.