Fighting fire with fire

Max braved massive firestorms to document the efforts of firefighters in California – and witnessed nature’s response to the flames.

- MAX WHITTAKER

A small herd of deer flees a wildfire in California last summer – as such animals have done for countless millennia, escaping seasonal blazes that sweep through dry brush and forest. This time, though, they’re joined by a curious figure setting light to the grass.

“I was following firefighters when the deer suddenly appeared,” recalls Max. “I had barely time to capture a few frames before they ran off.”