Channel 7 newsreader Mike Amor tears up live on air over Los Angeles wildfires

Channel 7 newsreader Mike Amor has choked back tears while talking about the horrific bushfires at his old home in LA.

Mike Amor teared up on air while talking about the wildfires gripping Los Angeles. Picture: X/7 News Melbourne

Channel 7 newsreader Mike Amor has teared up speaking about the emotional toll of seeing the LA bushfires rip through his old neighbourhood.

Amor lived there for 18 years as the network bureau chief and told of the devastation with friends and old neighbours losing everything in Pacific Palisades.

Mike Amor was the network’s LA bureau chief for 18 years.

“I’m not ashamed to say there have been lots of tears in the Amor household,’’ he said during Friday’s news bulletin.

“My American wife is from LA and for 10 years of the 18 years that we lived there we called Pacific Palisades and Malibu home. It’s where our son went to school, it’s where we shopped for groceries, so many memories.

“It’s hard not to get emotional thinking about the pain that they’re going through right now.”

Former 7NEWS US Bureau Chief @mikeamor7 shares insight on the hardships facing hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles residents. https://t.co/f4HqMrvb30#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/5mo3LLwJ1Z

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) January 10, 2025

Amor said bushfires were like earthquakes in LA, it was “just part of life”.

“We’re hearing more stories from our friends who have lost homes and those who are lucky enough to find them still there,’’ he said.

“It’s tough stuff. We’ve seen those heartbreaking pictures but they meant so much to us. It’s a beautiful place to live and they’re going through so much.

“Wildfires in LA are like earthquakes, they’re just part of life. And I covered many of them, but they’re getting worse and more frequent. In fact 14 of the worst wildfires have happened in the past 10 years alone. Insurance companies are just pulling out, they’re not insuring people anymore. They’ve dumped 80,000 homes from insurance in the past three months.”

Amor struggled to speak when mentioning his close friend.

“I’m thinking of a mate of mine who’s in his late 70s, he’s got cancer, he’s battling to live,’’ he said.

“Now he’s got nothing to return to.”

Originally published as Channel 7 newsreader Mike Amor tears up live on air over Los Angeles wildfires