Joe Rogan says he “watched a guy die” filming “Fear Factor”

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Podcaster Joe Rogan has stated that he “watched a guy die” during a previous wildfire in California while filming the hit TV show Fear Factor.

Rogan hosted NBC daredevil show Fear Factor from 2001 until it was dropped by the network in 2006. Serving as NBC’s answer to CBS hit Survivor, Fear Factor featured teams of contestants taking on a variety of stunts with the goal of winning a grand prize, usually $50,000. The show saw two brief revivals, including an MTV version hosted by rapper and actor Ludacris between 2017 and 2018.

In previous episodes of his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan has shared that while filming Fear Factor he was warned by a firefighter that Los Angeles would one day be hit by a cataclysmic fire spurred by high winds, and there would not be a “thing we can do about it.”

During an episode of his podcast last week, Rogan discussed the spate of wildfires that have been devastating expansive areas of Southern California since January 7, before sharing his own experiences with fires in the region.

When guest Bryan Callen shared that he was “pretty safe” in the area of Los Angeles County where he lives, Rogan responded: “This is from someone who’s been through it a few times: You don’t understand. You think it’s just a fire. It’s not. It’s a storm.”

“I saw fire tornadoes,” the media personality went on. “When we were filming on Fear Factor—and ironically, this was the same time where this fireman was explaining to me what’s going to happen in L.A.—we’re filming Fear Factor, and when we were driving back… I watched a guy die. I watched a guy run across the highway and get hit by a car.”

Rogan clarified that he “didn’t see him get hit by a car, but I saw him. My producer, the producer of the show, apparently saw more. He saw like graphic [details]. People were panicking. There was asphalt in the sky, like it was snowing. It was crazy.”

“It was a whole hour driving back where the whole right side of the highway was in flames,” Rogan recalled. “I mean, completely engulfed, like a Lord of the Rings movie where you’re waiting for Sauron to come riding on an evil horse over the top of it. It was nuts. It was f****** nuts. And you would see fire tornadoes, man. The fire was f****** insane. There’s nothing you can do, and it’s flying through the air.

“So you worry your car is going to catch fire. One of the things that happens is people get stuck on highways. Cars catch fire, and the fire and the winds just roll through the whole highway, and everybody burns alive inside their cars.”

Joe Rogan is pictured on August 18, 2023, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Gregory Payan/AP Photo

Rogan cited the Camp fire, which struck Northern California’s Butte County in 2018, as an example of people dying in their cars amid wildfires.

Since January 7, several fires have caused widespread devastation across Southern California. More than 12,300 structures have been destroyed, per the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, with damages estimated at up to $150 billion.

The Palisades and Eaton fires are two of the worst blazes in Los Angeles County history, causing thousands of residents to lose their homes, while more have been forced to evacuate for their safety. At least 28 people are confirmed dead.

While the fires were worsened by dry conditions and high Santa Ana winds—leading to many pinning the blame on climate change—there have also been police investigations into allegations that arsonists are responsible.

As of press time, the Palisades fire is 65 percent contained. The fire is over 23,000 acres in size and impacted the communities of Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Brentwood.

The Eaton fire, which impacted the communities of Pasadena and Altadena, is 89 percent contained, as of press time, per the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire grew to over 14,000 acres.

Portions of Southern California near Los Angeles remain under a red flag warning as Santa Ana winds continue to blow through the region. The National Weather Service Los Angeles noted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday that the area has “significant fire weather conditions” amid severely dry environments and the raging winds.

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