Social media personality racks up Snapchat views with Palisades fire coverage

Alex Choi, who loves documenting situations for social media and says millions of people have viewed his video of the Palisades Fire on Snap Chat and Instagram, walks along an empty beach near the Palisades Fire, in Los Angeles California, U.S. January 19, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When social media personality Alex Choi saw the raging wildfire in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, he grabbed his camera and dirt bike and went to document the devastation.

His video capturing fire-engulfed homes, embers flying through the air and an elderly man using a garden hose to protect his home has attracted nearly 673 million views on the messaging app Snapchat.