The man behind the shots

Like most photographers, Richard “Fuzzy” Fuerholzer is hesitant to have his picture taken. If you can coerce him into a photograph, he’ll grab a friend or co-worker to pose with him.

Instead of being the subject of photos, Fuerholzer prefers to spend his time behind the lens of his Sony NEX camera, which he first used when it was still in the experimental stage.

If Fuerholzer’s camera could talk, it would probably take months to hear about all the images the Spring Valley volunteer fireman/photographer has captured. They are photos that tell stories. Pictures that show flames and smoke and devastation. Photos of the courageous men/women who risk their lives for someone else.

Fuerholzer is a legend when it come to photographing area fires. For nearly 40 years, he’s been on the scene, using his camera and his understanding of firefighting to capture the details of countless fires in the area.

Primarily shooting photos for the Spring Valley Fire Department, Fuerholzer’s expertise behind the camera has also been utilized by other area fire departments as well as police/sheriff departments in the area, the state fire marshal’s office and more.

“A lot of the fire departments, when they ask us to assist, they love it because they know we have Fuzzy coming,” said Spring Valley Fire Chief Todd Bogatitus. “(He’s) a valuable resource. He documents what happened. If he gets there early enough, he starts taking pictures from the beginning to the end ... Everybody knows Fuzzy ... When Fuzzy shows up, people love it ... He’s pretty much our photographer, but he does freelance work for other departments.”

Fuerholzer has a plethora of memories of fires from throughout the years. The recent Westclox fire still lives vividly in his mind, and he’s even published a book depicting the events of that particular blaze. To date, it’s sold more than 6,000 copies.

And that’s just the beginning ... The Spring Valley Fire Department has a collection of albums and CDs — all filled with Fuerholzer’s photos.

Looking back, Fuerholzer says he has had an interesting and wonderful life. At 19, he worked for the Peru Fire Department for a year before joining the Army. After leaving the service, he joined the National Guard. He then worked for Coca Cola in Peru for 40 years. He started volunteering for the Spring Valley Fire Department in the 1970s, and he’s quick to give credit to Coca Cola for allowing him to respond to fire calls throughout the years, even while working.