NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff was uncertain of what he would encounter as he drove down the familiar streets of Pacific Palisades, where he spent his childhood.
Upon arrival on Wednesday, he was met with the haunting sight of his former home, which had been reduced to smoking debris. The only remnants were a crumbling chimney and an exposed brick wall. This destruction was part of the wider devastation caused by the recent wildfires in the Los Angeles area, a situation that Soboroff, along with numerous other journalists, is both documenting and experiencing firsthand.
His personal narrative unfolded over various NBC News platforms, breaking the traditional journalistic barrier and allowing viewers a rare glimpse of his emotional journey amidst the tragedy.
“I won’t pretend to be an emotionless reporter,” Soboroff shared in an interview. “It would be insensitive to ignore the feelings stemming from what I’ve witnessed.”
Initially, the camera captured him in a moment of shock, struggling to grasp the loss. “This is the first time I’ve seen my childhood home, and I’m at a loss for words,” he expressed to the audience. After stepping out of his car, he reached for his phone to FaceTime his mother, wanting to share the heartbreaking news about the house that sheltered him and his four siblings until he turned ten.
Though the reality was shocking for Soboroff, viewers had already seen the widespread destruction around him as he drove through the area.
“I feel like what I’ve witnessed here resembles the aftermath of a major earthquake,” he remarked during the interview. “This could easily be what we’d expect from the catastrophic ‘Big One,’ not a fire. We’ve faced wildfires before.”
The 41-year-old journalist now resides near Dodger Stadium with his wife and two children, all of whom are safe, and their home remains untouched.
However, not all journalists have been as fortunate. For instance, Ryan Pearson, an entertainment video manager for The Associated Press, reported on the fire all day only to discover that his home in Altadena had been completely destroyed. Fox News correspondent Jonathan Hunt’s residence in West L.A. was spared, but his daughter’s high school suffered damage. Other reporters, including KCAL’s Rick Montanez, found themselves overcome with emotion while broadcasting live about the devastation.
This past week, Soboroff has blended his reporting duties with personal objectives. Following his poignant coverage of his childhood home, several community members reached out to ask if he could check on their properties, and he has attempted to honor those requests whenever possible. He visited a local park to see if the plaque recognizing his father’s contributions was still intact—thankfully, it was.
While he has yet to learn about the current residents of his childhood home, he is determined to find out and connect with them.
“For me, it’s about the memories,” he reflected, “but for them, it represents their home.”
