“When people see fire only as destruction, we miss the opportunity to understand it and to prepare for what’s coming next.”
Wildfire is one of those topics that most people think they have an understanding of. That tends to change once they spend time with someone who has seen a wildfire up close. Stuart Palley is one of those people, but not for reasons most people picture someone being at a wildfire. He photographs the fires then translates them for the public to build understanding instead of fear.
Over more than a decade, Stuart has documented wildfires across federal, state, and local lands. His work lives at the intersection of media, public service, and safety. He’s incredibly intentional about respect. Specifically, respect for fire behavior, for first responders, and for the people whose lives are changed in an instant when fire moves through a community.
We talked a lot about the role media plays during wildfires. When it’s done poorly, it can distract or even create risk. Done well, it becomes a tool for education and accountability. Stuart has lived on both sides of that line. As a credentialed photographer with wildfire training, he understands incident command, safety protocols, and the reality crews face on the ground. That knowledge allows him to tell stories without becoming a liability.
When fires burn on public land, there is a real tension between safety and transparency. Stuart shared examples where meaningful documentation could have helped the public understand not just loss, but the value of prescribed fire, preparation, and long-term land management. Without that storytelling, the public is left with fragments instead of context.
What I appreciate most about Stuart’s work is that it doesn’t sensationalize fire. It humanizes it. It shows the dedication of firefighters, the consequences of decisions made decades earlier, and the reality that fire is not going away.
As wildfires grow in scale and impact, understanding becomes a form of preparedness. Leadership, especially in parks and conservation, sometimes means letting people see what’s really happening, even when it’s uncomfortable. If we’re willing to learn from what’s unfolding, we can make better choices moving forward.
Connect with Stuart Palley
Order Into the Inferno: A Photographer’s Journey Through California’s Mega Fires
Resources
https://parkleaders.com/about/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/theparkleaders/
Episode Highlights
[00:01:19] Using photography to educate the public
[00:02:50] Recognizing public land employees as serving the country
[00:07:23] First experience photographing wildfire at night
[00:10:29] Importance of wildfire training for media
[00:16:14] Benefits of documenting fires from inside incidents
[00:29:56] Why media access on public land matters
[00:39:23] How wildfire scale has changed over a decade
[00:44:56] Advice for making an impact as a park leader