One group of individuals did the exact opposite when the Eaton Fire broke out in early January, causing many to evacuate for their safety. They sprang into action to attempt to rescue those in need. They came home from long, hard work to discover that, like so many others, they had lost their houses to the fire.
“It was difficult to see at all, simply because the winds were so high,” Altadena Mountain Rescue volunteer Heather McAlpine said.
They are usually trained to help with rescues in mountain ranges, which places them in unexpected situations when they are in the middle of a life-or-death crisis.
“We kinda had that focus to just make sure we could save as many lives as we could,” she explained.
Unaware that their homes were among the thousands perished, they labored through the night, doing what they could to aid.
Masha Zann, another volunteer who worked with McAlpine after her home was damaged, is one of them.
“Honestly it’s all been kind of a blur still,” Zann stated. “I think honestly it hasn’t fully hit me.”
She reports that she recently completed a four-year home renovation project with her spouse.
They find comfort in the knowledge that they are surrounded by people who share their deep sorrow for their cherished neighborhood.
They still assist with urban search and rescue teams looking for persons who are still missing in the wake of the fire, days after the fire has died down and evacuation orders have been lifted.