This week, a resident from Malibu made his way south to a special event recognizing the El Segundo firefighters of Engine 31 C Platoon. These firefighters had played a crucial role in containing the Palisades Fire, and the man wanted to personally express his gratitude for their efforts in saving his home.
According to Dr. Anthony Nesburn, who spoke with FOX 11, attending the ceremony was a priority for him. He mentioned that not only did the firefighters manage to protect his residence from the flames, but they also took the time to leave a note in his mailbox as a further gesture of kindness.
The note detailed a critical moment during the fire when the house adjacent to his was in immediate danger, with the fire creeping dangerously close to his property. The firefighters’ quick action prevented the fire from spreading further and potentially engulfing his home, as the note specifically mentioned, “and we kept the fire from that door.”
He said he was so grateful for the letter, “because I did not know how the house survived.”
El Segundo firefighter Bryan Partlow said in the 20 years he’s been on the job, he’s never seen winds like they experienced during the Palisades Fire.
“The winds were unbelievable,” he said. “We already had an uphill battle.”
He added, “We go out there and we do the job. We handle the task, and we go back to the station, and we don’t normally talk about what we do. It’s a very humbling feeling.”
Thousands of people have been left homeless by the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, further east, that both sparked last month and just recently have been 100% contained after weeks of battling them.