Radio is again serving as an invaluable lifeline in the face of natural disaster as multiple wildfires ravage Los Angeles County in California. 140,000 are without power and more than 70,000 people have been evacuated, making radio the sole means of info for many in harm’s way.
The Palisades and Eaton Fires, which erupted Tuesday and were fueled by strong winds into Wednesday, have grown to affect tens of thousands of acres with minimal containment, creating a “ring of fire” around LA. While the true damage is impossible to know at this time, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said as of Wednesday morning, the wildfires have claimed two lives and damaged over 1,000 structures.
Given the power outages and the instability of cell service, many have been using their car radios to get information on road closures, evacuation plans, and wildfire movement. Los Angeles’ all-news radio stations were some of the first to act, with Audacy’s KNX-AM and iHeartMedia’s KFI-AM offering early coverage.
NPR affiliate LAist (KPCC) is putting its new partnership with CBS News & Stations’ two Los Angeles broadcast TV stations to use, supplementing its studio coverage with audio from KCAL-TV coverage.
KNX has remained wall-to-wall, dispersing reporters across the areas affected to offer on-the-ground coverage. This included emotional interviews with residents who were returning to see if their homes were still standing and those remaining in harm’s way desperately trying to save their homes, including a man in Altadena cutting down the palm trees in his yard as smoke and embers from the fire encased his neighborhood.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency and gave a press conference with visiting President Joe Biden covered by radio. Roadways across the area were gridlocked as residents fled, with some abandoning vehicles as the fires grew too close to escape.
Another important facet of radio coverage has been consistent weather reports from meteorologists as the winds seem to determine where the destruction travels next.
The fires have conjured comparisons to the Maui wildfires that destroyed the town of Lahaina in 2023 – another situation where radio played a vital role in keeping residents alive and informed through the tireless efforts of on-air staff and management.
iHeart’s recent decimation of KFI newsroom needs to be examined closer. This public emergency is precisely why broadcast licenses can’t be played with like pieces of a Monopoly game.
pray for California
Let’s not forget the hyperlocal coverage being provided by KBUU-LP. Yes, an LPFM station. They have been wall to wall coverage including with an agreement with KTLA-TV (yes, that is legal).. They are also not distracted by other stories of the day (or any need to run commercials). They were there for the Woolsey Fire a few years ago and they are here now for the Palisades Fire.