An Arkansas meteorologist is being praised for his composure and dedication to keeping his viewers informed after he continued reporting on tornado warnings while a fire broke out in the news studio.
According to People, a video shared by CBS Chicago showed meteorologist Noah Simmons reporting on tornadoes in the community when he noticed a light that caught fire. Covering his face with his shirt, he continues to share updates with those at home about a possible tornado. Thankfully, the situation was not serious, and no one was hurt.
Arkansas Meteorologist Continues to Report the Weather as Studio Fire Breaks Out on Air
Arkansas meteorologist Noah Simmons kept his cool and continued to do his job as a fire broke out in the news studio. The incident occurred on Saturday, June 6, with a video clip showing Simmons standing in front of a green screen reporting on tornado warnings in the Fort Smith area, while sharing, “And there is a fire in the studio right now.”
The video then sees Simmons using his shirt to cover his face as he continues, “So, if you’re just now joining us, we just had a fire in the studio, but we got two tornado warnings, so we got to keep tracking this and covering this live.”
Simmons detailed the incident during a Facebook livestream, sharing that while the video appeared to show him surrounded by smoke, it was actually the gases released from a fire extinguisher as staff members rushed to put out a fire sparked by a studio light.
The meteorologist shared that he first noticed something wrong when he saw “some lights started flickering in the studio” and added, “Five, 10 seconds later, I start to smell a little bit of smoke. That’s not normal.”
He continued, “In the stream I use the word ‘lamp,’ I don’t know why I used the word ‘lamp,’ it was actually a studio light that caught on fire. So that happened, it’s in flames. The studio light is lofted up in the ceiling.” Simmons was the only one in the studio, adding, “That’s when I walked off camera a little bit and kind of said, ‘Guys, we have a fire happening in the studio right now.'”
“It was a little tough to breathe, that’s why I had my shirt over myself, but when you’re tracking two tornado warnings at the time, I felt there was a need to keep going,” he said.
Viewers React to Simmons’ Viral On-Air Moment
It’s not every day that viewers at home watch a meteorologist continue delivering the forecast while a fire breaks out in the studio.
CBS News also shared the now-viral clip on Instagram, where viewers praised Simmons for remaining calm and composed throughout the incident.
“He was awesome!! He never missed a beat!! I’m from Fort Smith and watched it live and thought this kid just made a name for himself!!” A comment read.
“He wanted to make sure people were informed so they would be safe, what a legend,” another person wrote.
“Hope he gets a raise 👏,” another read.
