When wildfires tore through Los Angeles County in January 2025, local field journalists became an essential lifeline for residents and viewers worldwide. Reporting just feet from the flames, they bravely documented powerful stories of loss, resilience, and the people and places important to L.A.’s heritage. Even after the fires were extinguished, they continued to highlight the struggles and resilience of the communities affected.

The dangerous windstorm that began on Tuesday, January 7th, swept through Los Angeles County, causing as many as five fires to rage simultaneously. Fueled by dry conditions and fierce Santa Ana winds, the fires spread quickly and mercilessly, engulfing communities including Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, and Sylmar.

As terrified residents fled their emblazoned neighborhoods, firefighters, journalists, and their crews charged toward the flames, each with their own call of duty. With all aircraft grounded and the world watching helplessly, reporters stood in the line of fire to give the world a view into the chaos and courage unfolding in real-time.

It was all hands on deck as reporters from all beats geared up with masks, goggles, and other protective wear. Standing dangerously close to the fires, these journalists became the public’s boots on the ground. They stepped in to extinguish new blazes with garden hoses, drove through smoke-filled roads, reported only yards away from sparking electricity poles, and checked in on as many viewers’ homes as possible. For some, reporting on the firestorm was personal as they saw their homes, family members’ homes, children’s schools, favorite legacy businesses, and local cultural landmarks threatened.

News of the loss of the Will Rogers Ranch House and Topanga Ranch Motel turned L.A.’s historic places into a new focal point of reporting. As containment spread, impacted areas remained closed in the days that followed. The media were among the only groups allowed into the affected zones, so journalists became a lifeline for community members—and the Los Angeles Conservancy—for news on what was damaged, lost, or miraculously survived.

Local news media coverage continued nonstop through Friday, creating a demanding and emotional week for the reporters, producers, camera people, photographers, and teams back in the studio. Despite the impacts of the fires, they persisted and selflessly stayed “on” for the public, interviewing people whose lives were upended by the fires and giving them space to tell their stories of the places they cherished.

Thanks to their reporting, these moments in the lives of so many Angelenos have been memorialized for future generations. They will always remind us of how strong and broad our community is.

The Los Angeles Conservancy is pleased to honor L.A.’s field journalists covering the historic L.A. wildfires with a Media Award for their remarkable dedication to reporting and keeping Los Angeles communities connected worldwide.