Black women make up an estimated 0.4% of U.S. career firefighters. That absence shapes who gets seen as “belonging” in the job, who gets mentored, and who stays long enough to lead. The Color of Fire is a documentary photography project centered on women firefighters, especially women of color, and the unseen labor of staying excellent in a profession built to doubt them.

In Washington, DC, I will photograph and record short, firsthand stories from women firefighters and recruits: the quiet routines (gear, bruises, hair, childcare, training), the public-facing moments (calls, ceremonies, recruitment events), and the private cost (injury, isolation, pressure to be twice as good). The work is paired with a public-facing outcome in DC: a small pop-up exhibit and community talk in a Ward-based space (library/community center/gallery), plus an open “meet the photographer” evening and a youth-facing session aimed at girls considering public safety careers.

This project is built to be accessible: images, short captions, and clear audio quotes that DC residents can connect to quickly. The goal is not hero worship. It is representation with context: who these women are, what it takes to stay, and what changes when a city sees them clearly.