She Meant to Document That Dinner. Then the Wildfire Came. A conversation with Nicole Miller-Cline.

⚠️ Note: This episode is from the Intentional Documentary® era. It remains in the public archive because it combines real-world crisis with the emotional truths of story, memory, and loss.

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains first-person reflections about escaping a fast-moving wildfire with children and losing a home. Please listen with care if you are sensitive to stories of natural disaster or trauma.

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When the 2018 Camp Fire tore through Paradise, California, Nicole Miller-Cline had just 90 minutes to evacuate.

But this isn’t just a story about disaster. It’s a moving reflection on what’s truly worth preserving in an era of endless photos and recordings, and why slowing down to notice our lives as they unfold really matters.

Nicole shares what she had always meant to document—the Sunday dinners, the quiet family rhythms—and how the fire brought an unexpected kind of clarity.

Her story speaks to the urgency of documenting what matters, not for show, but as a way of living more fully with the people and moments we don’t want to forget. This conversation reaches far beyond photography and into the heart of presence, connection, and memory.

Topics

• The moment Nicole realized she wouldn’t be able to document everything she wanted to
• The Sunday dinners she always meant to photograph + what they came to symbolize
• What she grabbed in the 90-minute evacuation window + why
• How documenting before the fire gave her unexpected peace afterward
• Why she no longer believes perfect photos are the most important ones
• The emotional shift from documenting as craft to documenting as connection
• Lessons on letting go, slowing down, and paying attention while we still can

Connect with Nicole + access the archived episode resources here: 
 → dangerouslygoodstories.com/intentional-documentary-archive