Malibu man turns bedroom into radio station critical to Franklin Fire evacuations

Information is power in an emergency. But, when the power and wifi are out people have to go old school for the info they need. 

From his daughter's bedroom, Hans Laetz and his all-volunteer crew have helped residents affected by the Franklin Fire. After he and his wife converted the room into the station's studio nearly a decade ago, Laetz and 99.1 KBUU became Malibu's only local radio station.

"People would be able to go to their cars and turn on the radio because people don't have clock radios anymore," Laetz said. "The internet was dead, so there was no streaming."

Over the last 48 hours, the eight people behind KBUU have worked tirelessly since the flames flared up late Monday night. 

"I got a 45-minute nap on the floor," Laetz said about the breaks he's taken since the Franklin Fire started. 

Laetz and his colleagues utilized their hyper-local knowledge of the area to get out information on road closures, evacuations and flare-ups.

"KCAL was a big help because we watch you and when your helicopter's over something — your pilot knows this is Malibu. I know where it is in Malibu and can say this is the house on Palm Tree Lane that is burning on KCAL right now," Laetz said. "That's a big help to people in the community cause they know exactly where the fire is by listening to us."

KBUU has stepped in to help the coastal community, including during the Woolsey Fire. 

"During the last fire, the Woolsey Fire, people came up to me in tears saying we'd saved them," All we were doing was telling news, broadcasting the news, but we know the area and we can tell where the fire is going to from where the winds are from where the fire is," Laetz said. 

Laetz said they'll stay on the air for as long as they can in this emergency, and the next, to help their neighbors stay alert and alive. 

"I've been a news reporter of photographer, or both, or assignment editor since I was 15 and that was a long time ago," Laetz said.