An Arkansas meteorologist is earning praise after continuing a live tornado warning broadcast despite a fire breaking out inside the television studio.
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The incident occurred on Saturday, June 6, when a studio light caught fire while meteorologist Noah Simmons was delivering severe weather coverage.
Rather than leaving the broadcast, Simmons remained on air and continued tracking dangerous conditions as staff worked to contain the situation behind the scenes.
No injuries were reported.
Weather Broadcast Fire Doesn't Stop Tornado Coverage
While many would have panicked under the circumstances, Simmons stayed remarkably calm as smoke began filling parts of the studio.
Viewers watching CBS affiliate KFSM-TV (Channel 5) could see the haze appearing on camera as the situation unfolded.
"So we just had a fire in the studio but we got two tornado warnings," Simmons said while covering his nose with his shirt. "So we got to keep tracking this and covering this live."
Simmons later explained that the smoke visible on-air was largely caused by a fire extinguisher. This was as a producer rushed to put out the flames.
CBS later confirmed that no one was injured during the incident.
Viewers quickly praised Simmons for his professionalism and composure.
"He was awesome!!," one user said on Instagram. "He never missed a beat!! I'm from Fort Smith and watched it live and thought this kid just made a name for himself!!"
"He wanted to make sure people were informed so they would be safe, what a legend," another added.
