House on Fire kiva

Stephen Fischer Photography

The House on Fire kiva is one of the most popular in the Cedar Mesa area.  It is highly photogenic with its dramatic ceiling that gives the appearance that the kiva is in flames.  It is also an easy 1 mile hike from the road, and thus friendly for the entire family to get to.  The best shot is taken around noon as the sunlight creeps up closer to the base, providing a reflection from the ground up on to the ceiling.

To do something different for the photography here on my last visit, I experimented with some flash photography using a remote trigger from my camera.  Image 4 on the right is the result with the flash aimed upward through the window and onto the ceiling, to give it an even more dramatic appearance.  Image 3 is the result of aiming the flash back at the camera to simulate a sunburst effect.

While visiting this location, be sure to also check out the four painted hands high up on a rock wall.  They are to the left of the kiva by about 50 feet just through a narrow passage way.