A young meteorologist demonstrated remarkable composure during a live broadcast when a fire erupted in the studio, all while he was delivering a double tornado warning in Arkansas.
Noah Simmons, a 23-year-old meteorologist, was on air reporting for the local CBS affiliate, KFSM, covering tornado warnings in Franklin County on Saturday evening. At approximately 8 p.m., a studio light unexpectedly caught fire.
In the broadcast footage, Simmons momentarily paused and glanced upwards before calmly informing viewers, “There is a fire in the studio right now.”
Despite the chaos, Simmons maintained his poise, alerting others in the studio to the situation. He seamlessly continued, stating, “Okay, we’ve got a fire in the studio. We’ve still gotta track these two tornado warnings here across the region.”
The broadcast continued without interruption as Simmons provided live updates and operated the graphics on the green screen behind him. Occasionally, he glanced off-camera as station producer Trevor Branham swiftly extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher.
Amidst the smoky atmosphere, Simmons remarked, “We’re smelling lots of smoke here, but we’ve gotta keep going and tracking the tornado warning right now,” as he waved his hand in front of his face to clear the air.
The young man then became obscured by smoke and coughed a bit. ‘If I look a little foggy, it’s because we just had a fire in the studio, but you gotta keep doing your job, folks,’ he said before pulling his shirt over his nose and continuing the broadcast.
The fire was quickly put out, but smoke and fumes from the extinguisher lingered for a while. Simmons was not seriously harmed, though he later said he experienced minor throat irritation from the extinguisher’s fumes. No one else was harmed either.
Noah Simmons, 23, kept reporting tornado warnings in Arkansas on Saturday evening even as a fire broke out in the studio. He is pictured looking out of frame as he first noticed the fire
Simmons’s colleague rushed to put the fire out with an extinguisher, which filled the room with smoke and fumes, which can be seen starting to obscure the meteorologist
Simmons brought his shirt over his nose and calmly continued the broadcast. He later said that he knew he was not in immediate danger and felt it was important to keep viewers informed
Simmons explained why he remained so calm and dedicated to continuing his broadcast during an interview with Inside Edition.
‘As meteorologists, we’re always trained that when there’s a tornado warning, your utmost focus needs to be your viewers,’ he told the outlet. ‘Sometimes, you just gotta roll with the punches.’
He likewise told his own station, KFSM, that he was well-trained to determine the level of danger a situation presents while reporting, and that he deemed the threat to viewers posed by the possible tornado more pressing than the fire in the studio.
‘If there’s a tornado warning, you’ve got to keep folks safe, and you’ve got to keep them up to date,’ Simmons told his station.
‘I had to make a judgment call and quickly determined I was not in any immediate danger and could continue coverage that would keep our community safe.’
The young meteorologist thanked viewers who reached out to check on him, as well as his colleagues for quickly reacting and taking care of the fire.
According to his LinkedIn, Simmons graduated from the University of Missouri just last year.
He worked as a meteorologist for KOMU 8 News while in college, and he has been a meteorologist for KFSM 5NEWS since August 2025.
Simmons thanked viewers who reached out to checked on him, as well as his colleagues for quickly handline the fire. He was praised by KFSM President Van Comer
Simmons graduated from the University of Missouri last year and has been working as a meteorologist for KFSM since August 2025. He is pictured during his graduation
KFSM President and General Manager Van Comer praised Simmons and his colleagues for the way they handled the situation.
‘What viewers saw Saturday night was professionalism under pressure. Noah stayed calm and focused during a critical weather situation, while Trevor acted quickly to ensure our employees remained safe,’ Comer said.
‘Our news teams are well-trained to prioritize safety, and we are grateful for the quick action that ensured Noah could remain on-air during a critical weather event.’
