Surprise for Altadena resident as their home is the sole survivor in the midst of Los Angeles wildfires

A man from California, whose residence was the lone surviving one on the street in the aftermath of the Eaton Fire, shared a breathtaking video displaying the destruction around his neighborhood. He expressed his belief that he was protected by a higher power, saying “God knew what he had to do to protect me.”

Enrique Balcazar recorded the footage on Jan. 9 as he returned to see what was left of his community in Altadena. 

He described the scene, saying, “This is across the street, the corner house and the two houses in front and the entire street on my right side is decimated. From what I could see, every house is burnt down on my block, except for my house.”

While becoming emotional, he pondered, “Why do I deserve this? I don’t know. I don’t think I deserve it. But God bless everybody else with plenty of insurance to rebuild. God knew what he had to do to protect me,” showing gratitude for being spared amidst the disaster.

An extension that Enrique Balcazar was building onto his home in Altadena emerged was unharmed during the Los Angeles wildfires. But the Eaton Fire consumed some of the lumber he was using in his backyard. (Enrique Balcazar via Storyful)

At one point in the video, Balcazar reveals that a portion of his garage’s roof was still smoldering. 

“The garage is even still standing. I don’t understand how this happens. This is God,” he said. 

“Alright, we are going to go ahead and put some water on that right now, make sure we put that out so it doesn’t reignite,” Blacazar added before the video ends. 

Enrique Balcazar’s neighborhood in Altadena was devastated by the Eaton Fire. (Enrique Balcazar via Storyful)

“Besides that, the entire house is still here. Thank you God,” he said.