Veteran KHOU reporter Brad Woodard was caught smoking a cigarette on-air last Friday as the station’s 6 p.m. newscast cut to his live shot earlier than he was expecting. Making matters worse was the fact that he was smoking while standing near the scene of an oil tank fire.

The video made the internet rounds on Monday, appearing on TVSpy and then on Gawker and Mediate, and Woodard, who has been with KHOU since 2006, has apologized for his on-camera smoke break.

“Due to a technical glitch, I was observed on camera smoking and extinguishing a cigarette, something I find both professionally and personally embarrassing,” Woodard wrote on KHOU’s Facebook page. “I sincerely apologize to those of you who were offended.”

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At the top of its 6 p.m. newscast on Friday, Houston’s KHOU reported that black smoke was filling the sky in Chambers County. And it wasn’t just from reporter Brad Woodard‘s cigarette.

Firefighters were working to contain a storage-tank fire and Woodard was on the scene covering the breaking news. When KHOU cut to his live shot, Woodard was puffing on a cigarette (video above).

After realizing that he was on-air, Woodard began his report but kept the cigarette in his hand for a few seconds before nonchalantly flicking it to the ground. [h/t NewsBlues]