Just after midnight in early October 2017, I got a series of frantic texts from a friend wondering if her house might burn down. Within minutes, the power and cell service in our town went out, and shortly after, the roads clogged as people tried to flee and the wildfire closed down the main highway. More people died in that fire than any other in Mendocino’s recorded history, during what would become known as the Redwood Complex.
Over the next several days in Mendocino County, the fire would continue to grow as we managed to report without power or internet within 50 miles. This was the first time as reporters we were faced with the question of how do you run an online news site when the power and internet is out for days? ...
As both a resident and journalist, I keep two go bags packed: one for reporting emergencies — full of battery packs and tripods, masks, safety gear, and helmets, press info and sundries — and another one if I need to evacuate my home.
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