A reporter covering the wildfires that raged through Los Angeles this week is receiving praise for the unique way she was able to help some of the people who were directly impacted by the blazes.
Ashley Sharp, a television news reporter with CBS Sacramento, was documenting the Eaton Fire’s destruction on TikTok when she noticed a comment from one social media user named Katie who asked Sharp to check on the status of her home.
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“Katie here commented on one of my videos and asked that we check out her family home,” Sharp explained at the beginning of a video clip posted on Thursday, Jan. 9. “I just want to show you and tell you I’m so sorry,” Sharp said as she changed the angle of the camera to show the remnants of the burned home in question.
The reporter’s voice broke as she declared that the home was “gone.” Her camera panned over some of the debris before shifting up to show that the home of Katie’s neighbor was also decimated by the flames.
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“It’s just not easy, right?” Sharp said as she turned the camera back around to face it directly. “We’ve watched families coming in and out, and I’m glad we could give you an update, Katie, but I’m really sorry that we had to be the people to tell you.”
@ashleyontv Replying to @Katie Cruickshank297 Katie I am so sorry. 696 E Calaveras and the homes neighboring it are gone. I am heartbroken for you. I’m gonna take some photos I will DM you. #calfornia #eatonfire #altadena #wildfire
♬ original sound – Ashley Sharp
Fans who left comments on the video shared their own words of apology for Katie and applauded Sharp’s “act of service.”
“Ashley it’s so clear how compassionate you are even by the way your voice broke when you told her the news. I am so sorry Katie ♥️♥️♥️♥️,” one TikTok user wrote. Sharp responded to their comment, writing that she was “trying not to cry” while filming the video. The reporter added that while she “didn’t want to make it about me,” it was “impossible not to feel something when you look at this.”
“Thank you for answering her, Ashley,” another TikToker commented, adding, “I’m so sorry, Katie.”
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“Thank you for giving her closure,” a third TikToker wrote before echoing the apology for Katie, writing, “Katie, I am so sorry.”
Though Sharp was the one to deliver devastating news to one Los Angeles homeowner, she was later able to offer a much happier update to another.
“GOOD NEWS! Finally!!!! Still standing ❤️,” Sharp wrote to caption another TikTok video filmed in response to a similar query to check on a local resident’s home.
The Eaton Fire was one of several that broke out in the Los Angeles area this week. After igniting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, the fire tore through Altadena. It had burned more than 13,600 acres and was 3 percent contained as of 4 p.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 10, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
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