UPDATED: Local Media Failed Me in the Station Fire

I’ve updated some information below.
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For those that know me, a short personal update. We’re OK. My mother is holding her own in terms of the smoke, although it’s really really bad today and this might be the day that takes her to the hospital. We’re out of danger of embers now. We’ll have a massive cleanup of our property to undertake, but not only can we not work outside in these conditions, the fire’s been so unpredictable, I’m hesitating on doing the work until we know it’s out ashes are falling like snow again. We keep alternating between clear skies or ash depending on the breeze. Our air quality is currently Hazardous (as opposed to just unhealthy.) I’ll know by 3pm if the school district will start school tomorrow as previously scheduled. School was indeed canceled. And is canceled again today. And I’m waiting to see about tomorrow.

Now. This fire is the Station Fire. It started above La Canada on Wednesday, around 3:30pm. That means that we’re into day 5 Day 7 of this thing. In fact, the kid’s were in their pool on Wednesday, as I wasn’t sure if air quality from the Azuza fire would hamper it for the rest of the week. As we were sitting there a rather large helicopter buzzed us really low, so I took a look. Shit, a column. If you live in southern California, you know what I meant.

Since then, our mountain has been decimated. Homes threatened in our town. Ashes the size of my pinky in whole leaf form. We watched the fire literally eat the mountain alive. It’s, well, gone. Haunts I hung out it in growing up, gone. Friends, and friends’ families evacuated to my alma mater. JPL closed. My yard glowed bright red. Explosions as transformers heated too much. Threats of losing all communications as it threatened Mt. Wilson yesterday. Those threats are still a factor. Last night, it hadn’t quite been over run, but I haven’t heard an update. I also have gotten conflicting messages on what that would mean to us, besides the loss of the observatory and scientific items. Is it just TV? Is it just broadcast TV? Or is it everything communication wise? I just don’t know.

It seems that after the firefighters fought for 5 7 days, 6 nights, the portion above La Canada seems out. Perhaps. It’s been unpredictable, so I’m willing to say “seems.” However, the fire is most certainly not done. In fact at no point was it over 5% containment. It went from 10 acres to 20,000 105,000+ acres and now spreads through the city limits of 6 cities that I know of. 6 CITIES. It now threatens more, but I’m not sure I’m getting an accurate count. Acton and Soledad Canyon? Same fire. Altadena? Same fire.

Where have I gotten my information? I’ll tell you where. FACEBOOK. Going up to the hospital (a high point in the city) and then telling others what I saw. My city’s website too – but their hourly updates were usually closer to the next hour, and while reliable in information, usually out of date by the time posted. Evacuees were contacted via reverse 911. Did you notice something missing?

In my opinion, one of the reasons for media to exist is to inform the public in times of crisis. I don’t expect crisis management from national news media, but you bet your ass I expect if from the local media. I want to know specifically who’s being evacuated. Streets and street numbers. I want acreage. I want to know how the firemen are doing. I want to know where the animals go. I want to know the predicted outlook. And then I want that information constantly updated and constantly referred to. BECAUSE I’M LIVING IN THE MIDST OF THAT CRISIS. It’s the local media’s duty, in my opinion, not to fan fear, but to give real information, so that people know what’s going on around them, and they know what they’re next steps are supposed to be.

Our local media, has given brief minutes, “updating on the Station Fire.” No they weren’t. They were showing you the pretty pretty flames for a 3 minute spot. This is huge, people. I was getting sent photographs from Lancaster, which is something like 50 miles away from me, from friends. In a couple towns over, people have lost homes and been injured. This isn’t a little thing. Sup. Antonovich was giving a briefing on the fire, and he actually berated the media for not being there for the citizens. Which you didn’t hear about, because NOT ONE TV STATION SHOWED UP. We’re getting more coverage now that it’s as big as it is. No breaking news, just more facetime on the previously scheduled news broadcasts. Of course, it’s too late to be of any help to my town. It’s already swept through and done it’s damage. Last night on the 11pm news they did this big poetic thing with all our pictures. Gag me. HOWEVER… One place that has been great is KNX1070 Newsradio. Their website was giving specific school closure information, evacuations by actual street name, etc. Apparently, they’ve been a good source of solid information throughout, and I wanted them to have a shoutout. Although, I was never angry with radio. Shoot, they were probably the radio station at that press conference I mentioned.

Me? I’ve been putting up pictures in flickr when I can. I’m reading the city website, I’m in a Facebook group about the fire, and we keep each other in the loop when information falls into our laps. My – NOT a photographer – flickr photos ended up in a story on the fire in Canada, BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T GET ANY FROM THE MEDIA. I was quoted from Facebook on something else. This is SAD.

Where it REALLY sucks is for people like my parents. They’re older. They don’t use “new media.” They have no need for call waiting. They only have a cell phone because they travel and I had a nice temper tantrum and made them get one. They think that their source for this crisis is the TV news. They’ll tell them what they need to know of course. And since it’s not there – all’s well… Right?

So… Yeah. You go on and mourn Kennedy. It’s the proper thing to do. You go ahead and mourn the cracked clavicle of the USC football player, it’s news if you’re into sports. Me? I’m worried about living people who are terrified everything’s going up in smoke with a fire that is out of control still after 5 DAYS 7 DAYS. I could have used the media’s help.

Responsible media, my ass.