They’ve committed their livelihoods to preventing residential fires, but when the Eaton Fire descends upon their neighborhood, even their years of firefighting experience are upended. I couldn’t rival that.

“I’ve never encountered anything like this. It’s akin to combating a hurricane, but instead of rain, it’s flames,” Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Jerry Puga remarked regarding the fire that ravaged his Altadena residence.

Now Los Angeles firefighters find themselves in a similar situation as many of their Altadena neighbors, gazing at heaps of smoldering debris and pondering how to reconstruct their lives from the ruins.

The Eaton fire obliterated the properties of at least four active LAFD members, one retired LAFD member, and two Pasadena Fire Department personnel, resulting in the displacement of at least 15 LAFD families, stated Chris Stein, president of the Los Angeles Fire and Rescue Association. At least three firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department also experienced property loss, according to a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Firefighters Welfare Association.

Information regarding donations for fundraisers initiated by county and city firefighter associations and impacted families is available.

These are some of the sorrowful narratives of the residences and legacies that firefighters have lost.

“I’m concerned about being struck by a bullet.”

When George Baxter hung up his firefighting gear after 30 years, he genuinely believed his firefighting days had concluded. That was until the Eaton Fire erupted last week, prompting him to embark on one final mission: safeguarding his own home.

“I was likely the sole individual on the block who didn’t evacuate,” said the recently retired LAFD firefighter. “But you know, I’m a devoted firefighter, so I aimed to protect my property.”

From 11 p.m. on January 7 to 7 a.m. the following morning, Baxter positioned himself in his garden with a garden hose, valiantly combating one of the most devastating firestorms in California’s history.

“Fences are ablaze, trees are ablaze, car tires are ablaze,” he explained. “So I’m darting around like a hen with its head cut off, and as soon as I extinguish one blaze, another ignites.”

As he toiled through the night, chaos unfurled around him. The house across the street ignited, and all the firearms kept inside began to explode.

“It resembled a battleground,” he recalled. “All the bullets are ignited, and now I’m anxious about being struck by one.”

His nephew appeared and implored Baxter to evacuate, prompting him to drop the hose and concede defeat. Later, his eyes were scorched by the smoke, leaving him unable to see, necessitating a rush to the hospital. When he emerged from the emergency room several hours later, a neighbor presented him with images of the devastated dwelling.

“I simply broke down in tears,” he shared. “I couldn’t grasp that the house I had occupied for 30 years had burned to the ground. It felt like I was trapped in a nightmarish vision.”

“A downpour of embers”

Jerry Puga hails from a lineage of firefighters. He is a 22-year veteran of the LAFD, his son Adrian is an apprentice LAFD firefighter, and his daughter’s boyfriend Sam Smiley is also employed by the LAFD. Yet even their collective proficiency could not spare Puga’s home in Altadena.

Puga recollects waking up to the odor of smoke at 3:30 a.m. on January 8. He resolves to drive through his neighborhood to ascertain what was happening, but is astonished by the conditions he witnesses.

“It was a significant rainfall of embers. That’s when I realized the wind was directing directly toward the house,” he indicated. “Immediately, we understood we were powerless.”

He gathered his family and fled. Merely a few hours later, his residence was leveled to ruins. For Puga, that truth was challenging to grasp.

“I visited every morning for several days, hoping for a different outcome,” he said. “I kept thinking, okay, perhaps this isn’t genuine, maybe it’s merely a nightmare.”

“We’re utterly shattered.”

Firefighter John Stahlman has resided in the San Gabriel Valley throughout his life, but after the Eaton Fire annihilated his home, he doubts that he and his wife, Monica, will be able to return.

“We are utterly shattered,” he expressed. “We’re not going to bounce back from this ordeal. We are already exploring options in different cities.”

The flames annihilated the couple’s most cherished belongings, including his wife’s wedding ring and gown, Stahlman and his father’s Marine Corps medals, his grandfather’s coin collection, and family photographs dating back to the 1930s.

“I’ve spoken to many individuals about losing their homes, but being on the receiving end is an entirely new experience,” said Stahlman, who boasts 25 years of firefighting experience in the Marines and LAFD.

When the blaze erupted, Stahlman told Monica to evacuate and remained behind to safeguard the house. He was managing the embers competently until abruptly “everything detonated”.

Nearby residences were engulfed in flames, along with trees and mailboxes.

He jumped into his vehicle and sped down the street as the wind uprooted power lines and jolted the car. At the neighborhood’s foot, he halted his vehicle and guided about 20 cars away from the fire zone.

“People were shouting, ‘My home is over there,'” he recounted. “And I told them, ‘No, it’s gone, it’s all gone.’

He reunited with his wife, who transported him to the hospital, where he received treatment for smoke inhalation and severe facial burns. He will heal, but his residence will not.

“Utter disbelief”

James Klingmon is an apprentice firefighter, but he has already witnessed what may be one of the most devastating firestorms of his career. And it obliterated his childhood home.

“My initial reaction was utter disbelief,” he said of the moment he discovered his home was gone. “My heart sank. It’s one of those occurrences you don’t want to believe is genuine.”

The fire also eradicated three generations of family traditions and heirlooms.

His grandmother raised three children as a single parent in Altadena, made a living as a businesswoman, and was a well-known seamstress who crafted some of the costumes for the original “Star Trek” television series.

Thanks to her blood, sweat, and tears, the family was able to acquire Clingmon’s childhood home as well as her aunt’s house, which was also destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

Klingmon has remained active since then, aiding the heavily burdened LAFD in responding to calls across the city.

“It still brings comfort to serve people and see joy on their faces,” he stated. “Individuals are incredibly grateful and appreciative. They’re honking their horns as we traverse the streets.”

A fire may have wiped out his family’s residence, but that hasn’t quelled his determination.

“When I observe events like this, it reinforces why I made the appropriate choice to become a firefighter,” he expressed. “To assist the community.”

Ways to assist firefighters affected by Los Angeles wildfires

Here are links to the GoFundMe accounts for the firefighters: Baxter Family, Puga Family, Stahlman Family, and Klingmon Family. Additional donations can be made to facilitate the firefighters’ recovery on the Los Angeles Firefighters Relief Association website and the Los Angeles County Firefighters Benefits and Welfare Association GoFundMe page.