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News reporter rocked by explosions during California wildfire coverage

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Explosions rock reporter during wildfire coverage
WATCH ABOVE: CBS reporter David Begnaud says he had just finished an interview on fire safety when a storage facility exploded behind him – Nov 9, 2018

A CBS News reporter was rocked by at least two explosions while gathering video for his Friday story.

David Begnaud said he was standing in front of a storage facility in Paradise, Calif., when there was an explosion behind him. Begnaud had been speaking with a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) expert moments earlier.

READ MORE: Paradise, California ‘destroyed’ by out-of-control Camp Fire

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“We’d just discussed safety checks with our team: falling trees & power lines. We were careful,” Begnaud posted on Twitter. “An explosion was the one box I hadn’t checked in my mind.”

Begnaud was in Paradise covering the devastation the town has endured from a wildfire that was reported around daybreak Thursday. Within six hours, it had grown to more than 69 square kilometres.

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Butte County CalFire Chief Darren Read said at a news conference that two firefighters and multiple residents were injured.

Cal Fire Capt. Scott McLean estimated that a couple thousand structures were destroyed in the town of 27,000 residents.

CBS reports that Begnaud was able to record his standup safely and his story aired on schedule.

With files from the Associated Press

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