Here’s How Reporters Are Covering the Los Angeles Wildfires (Updated)

Tony Cabrera, weathercaster and general assignment reporter for ABC7 Eyewitness News
The most defining moment for me was driving through the Pacific Palisades with flames and smoke on both sides of the road, then seeing the destruction when the sun came up.  We saw home after home, business after business destroyed.  Not just clusters, but rows of structures burned to the ground on nearly every block.  Then driving up and down PCH in Malibu and seeing almost every beachfront property gone, completely changing the landscape of such a beautiful coastline.  It was unrecognizable. 

What precautions are you and your crews taking during you reporting? Have there been any moments where you felt in danger?

Stephanie Sy, national correspondent for PBS News Hour
Our team’s focus was on telling the stories of people who had to be evacuated and had lost their homes. We weren’t attempting to be the ones with the most dramatic live shots from the frontlines and frankly we weren’t equipped for that. We did go into evacuation zones, but we felt relatively safe doing our jobs. 

Michelle Fisher, co-anchor ABC7 Eyewitness News
In fire coverage particularly, that’s the challenge we navigate as journalists; we want to get as close as possible to give viewers the most accurate account and images of what is happening. But the situation can escalate and become life threatening within seconds—where do we draw the line for our own personal safety? 

In an active fire situation, one of the main precautions we take is to always identify an exit strategy and always have the news van facing out toward the exit in case you must hop in quickly and escape a situation.

Tim Wieland regional GM, President of CBS News Los Angeles and CBS News Colorado
Our reporters have received significant training in advance of covering events like this. We also take extreme caution when sending them out to provide coverage, and we provide protective gear.
Examples below:  

-Crews are required to attend annual Wildland Cal Fire training
-Reporters and Photographers are assigned respirators that require fitting tests by Cal OSHA-certified technicians
-Crews have access to N95 masks, water, first aid kits.
-All news vans have fire extinguishers and are checked daily with OSHA required checklist 
-Photographers and Reporters are assigned Nomex Fire gear consisting of a jacket and pants, and safety goggles

We had a moment when CBS Los Angeles anchors Pat Harvey and Juan Fernandez were live doing a talkback with reporter Jasmine Viel, when the wind suddenly shifted, and she was briefly hit with flying ember while reporting. We evacuated her immediately out of the Temescal Canyon/Palisades area.

Nancy Loo, national correspondent for NewsNation
Despite consistent use of goggles, masks and fire protection, exposure to these elements after 2+ days of coverage is definitely catching up to me and my cameraman, Nate Fiery. Fortunately, conditions are improving. And I always try to keep perspective in check—our personal issues seem trivial. I’m okay; people have lost their lives and loved ones, and far more have lost everything.

Alex Stone, national correspondent for ABC News Radio
We train every year with CalFire and years ago when I lived in Denver I actually fully trained with Boulder Fire to meet firefighter training and standards. We wear our Nomex clothing, helmets, and we carry emergency fire shelters for use in an absolute worst-case scenario.  As we are moving into the fires we are alongside the firefighters and if they get into trouble, we get into trouble.  So, we have to be ready.