When the Winds Blow: What Wildfires Can Teach Us About Crisis Communication

John Huck
Jul 30
5 min read

A crisis will visit us all.

We can make smart choices. Prepare for every scenario. Do everything "right." But what happens when multiple disasters converge? Not just one black swan—but a whole family of them?

Some of the stories I’ve covered in my 37 years as a journalist were deeply traumatic for the people involved. And let’s be honest, having a swarm of cameras and reporters on your front lawn doesn’t help with the anxiety.

But here’s the thing: in the chaos of crisis, those who communicate clearly and authentically can minimize the damage to their brand, their people, and their mission.

It doesn’t have to be Oscar-worthy. It just has to be real.

On the other hand, silence or poorly handled messaging can stretch a crisis out for weeks, even months. That vacuum of information? It doesn’t stay empty for long. That’s where misinformation and conspiracy theories thrive.

Let me take you back to one of the most searing assignments of my career: the wildfires in Southern California.

John Huck talking to firefighters while covering the Eaton wildfire in January 2025.

The Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon Wildfires: A Failure in Messaging

It was January 7th, 2025. Fires were breaking out across L.A. County. The Santa Ana winds—forecasted for days—roared up to 100 mph. Mix in prolonged drought conditions, and you had the perfect storm for catastrophe.

My photographer and I were assigned to the two biggest fires: the Palisades Fire, which destroyed nearly 7,000 buildings, and the Eaton Fire near Altadena and Pasadena, which burned 10,000 buildings. Many of those were generational homes. It became one of the deadliest fires in Southern California history.

One of those homes belonged to Bob Packard. On his 61st birthday, he posted a picture on Facebook: his childhood home erupting in flames. It had been his last physical connection to his family. He was the first person we interviewed when we got there.

Bob and many others wanted answers. Why weren’t the hydrants working?

Outrage surged. Rumors flew—about water theft, elite favoritism, even intentional sabotage. The L.A. Department of Water and Natural Resources eventually explained: unprecedented demand had overwhelmed the system.

But by the time that truth came out, it was too late. Misinformation had gone viral. During my time reporting in the hours and days after the fire, things went from bad to worse to cringe-worthy.

WATCH: John Huck Covering Pacific Palisades Wildfire

Four Crisis Communication Lessons Learned During SoCal Wildfires

As a frontline reporter and as a media strategist, here's where I see the four crisis communication failures and lessons to learn.

Crisis Communication Lesson #1: Fill the Vacuum—Fast

Long gone are the days when no news means good news. As we've discussed in previous blogs, notably the Coldplay Kiss Cam Affair, silence will be filled with internet noise. Before you know it, you have a wildfire of bad information spreading while your brand viability tanks.

If your organization experiences operational failure:

Acknowledge the issue immediately
Explain what happened in clear, simple language
Share what you're doing to fix it
Track social media for false claims
Post fact-based corrections
Use graphics, videos, and plain language to make the truth go viral

All of this should be part of your communications crisis plan so it becomes habit, not more chaos in the future.

Crisis Communication Lesson #2: Speak With One Voice

In those first days, local departments, city officials, and the mayor’s office gave contradictory updates about evacuations and water supply. There was no unified voice, despite a unified command being set up to streamline information. Probably didn't help that the mayor, Karen Bass, wasn't in town until 24 hours after the fire started.

In fact, even leaders in the city didn't seem to know who had the final say on any topic. While various departments gave some information, the lack of consistency and unity added to the speculation and frustration online and throughout the impacted region.

At the same time, this wasn't the small-town Midwest that never sees disasters. This was the second-largest metro area in the nation. You'd expect a plan to be in place with a clear chain of command.

What can you learn?

Designate a single spokesperson or crisis communications lead
Use consistent messaging across all channels
Anticipate tough questions and answer them proactively

Crisis Communication Lesson #3: Educate Before the Emergency

Those 100 mph winds? They were forecast. Drought conditions? Well known. Reservoir maintenance and water limitations? Public record. But no one explained that ahead of time. So when disaster hit, people saw incompetence instead of inevitable strain on the system.

At the same time, some say the water supply worked as it was supposed to, with the issue being that it's not designed for a catastrophic wind-fueled wall of fire.

"We believe that our system performed above and beyond what the requirements of any municipal system would be," Anselmo Collins, the senior assistant general manager at LADWP, told KABC. "It's not designed for wildfire protection."

As much as it's hard to plan for the worst-case scenario, news report after news report details a chain of human errors: misallocated emergency resources, lack of clear warnings, neglect of infrastructure risks, and weak leadership at key moments.

If your organization has known risks—whether it’s data breaches, shipping delays, or power failures—educate your stakeholders now. Transparency builds trust.

Crisis Communication Lesson #4: Lead With Empathy

The mayor was out of the country. No officials showed up with evacuees or firefighters. The early statements were cold and technical. Meanwhile, social media was flooded with heartbreak, frustration, and emotional storytelling.

Even the hours and days that followed seem to elicit more of a CYA (cover your a$$) tone than one of general compassion or care. Leaders, by design, should be a trusted source to look to, even when everything goes sideways.

Acknowledge pain and disruption
Express sincere concern for those affected
Then move into facts and logistics

Even when Mayor Bass finally admitted she shouldn't have traveled, noting that she had family impacted by the fire, she also started pointing fingers.

"Honestly and truly, if I had all the information I needed to have, the last thing I would have done would've been to be out of town," she told KABC on February 19.

She even made a strong step forward, adding, "I hated that I was out of town when the city needed me the most." Instead, she then turned the conversation to her family and how "it was a horrible feeling to know how long it took (me) to come back considering how far away I was." Mayor Bass should have focused on how other people felt, not her own feelings or personal impact.