As wildfires surged uncontrollably around Los Angeles, one man recounted how he defied evacuation orders to protect his home successfully.
The Pacific Palisades residence where 65-year-old John Carr resides was inherited from his parents.
It now stands as one of the few properties still intact after the Palisades wildfire devastated the neighborhood this week, rendering the community nearly unrecognizable.
“The house was built by my mother and father in 1960, and I have lived here my entire life, so there are countless memories attached to it. I felt I owed it to them to do everything I could to save it,” he shared.
Equipped with his organizational skills, background as a pilot, and previous firefighting experiences, he made the decision to ignore evacuation orders and hunker down, soaking his home in a bid to preserve his cherished memories.
“Some things in life are worth fighting for, you know? Losing this house would make it incredibly challenging to afford building a new one, not to mention the exorbitant property taxes here. What would I do?” he lamented.
In the aftermath of the Palisades Fire, remnants of homes and businesses lay reduced to ashes.
As the flames began to approach his backyard, Mr. Carr took immediate action, leaping over fences to combat spot fires from various angles with his hose, not only targeting the flames but also cooling himself down.
“I was awake all night and all day. I managed to get a bit of sleep when things calmed down slightly after many houses had burned. I think I may have injured a rib while jumping a fence,” he explained.
He expressed a desire for the Los Angeles Fire Department to have matched his efforts.
“While I was out here, hosing down the house and preparing for when the flames engulfed nearby homes, I didn’t see a single fire truck at all. Not one.”
“Had they deployed just a few fire trucks to provide some initial response and kept an eye on things, all of these houses would be standing right now. I witnessed it firsthand. All these houses!”
“The homes behind me are all gone. It all started from a minor spark, just one little fire. If they had simply doused those fires and had a couple of people on the scene, they would all still be here now.”
Reflecting on the havoc wrought by the wildfires, he said: “It’s heartbreaking. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I know the people in all of these homes and their stories.”
“These are my memories, and now they are gone. But, you know, this is California; it’s a desert, and fires like this are part of nature here.”
After protecting his home, does he consider his actions to be brave or reckless?
“Well, I’ll let others decide that. I did what I felt was necessary, what I wanted to do, and what I thought I could achieve, and that’s what I did,” he replied.
To his neighbors, Mr. Carr has become a hero.
“They have been very appreciative. The neighbor next door thanked me for saving his house, and so did the one on the other side. A simple thank you goes a long way,” he added.
