These Los Angeles firefighters lost their homes in the Eaton Fire

These men have dedicated their careers to stopping people’s homes from burning down, but when the Eaton Fire came to their doorstep, even their decades of firefighting expertise couldn’t match the blaze’s fury.

“I’ve never seen anything like this; it was like fighting a hurricane, but instead of water, it was fire.” Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Jerry Puga describes the fire that destroyed his home in Altadena said.

Now, these Los Angeles firefighters find themselves in the same position as many of their Altadena neighbors — staring at a smoldering pile of rubble and wondering how to rebuild their lives from the ashes.

Chris Stine, president of the Los Angeles Firefighters Relief Association, said the Eaton Fire destroyed the homes of at least four active members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, one retired member and two members of the Pasadena Fire Department and killed at least 15 people in Los Angeles. Fire station families displaced. At least three Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters also lost their homes, a representative of the Los Angeles County Firefighters Welfare and Welfare Association said.

Fundraisers organized by county and city fire protection associations and donation messages from individual affected families

Here are some heartbreaking stories of firefighters losing their homes and history.

‘I’m worried about getting hit by a bullet’

When George Baxter retired after 30 years in the fire service, he was convinced that his firefighting days were behind him. It wasn’t until last week’s fire in Eaton that he carried out one last mission – to save his home.

“I was probably the only person on the street who didn’t evacuate,” said the recently retired Los Angeles Fire Department firefighter. “But you know me, as a die-hard firefighter, I will do whatever I can to defend my property.”

From 11 p.m. on January 7 to 7 a.m. the next morning, Baxter stood in his yard, garden hose in hand, as he heroically battled one of the most destructive fire storms in California history.

“My fence is on fire, my trees are on fire, my car tires are on fire,” he said. “So I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off, and once I put out one fire, the next one starts.”

As he worked through the night, chaos reigned around him. The house across the street was on fire and the guns stored inside began to explode.

“It felt like a war zone,” he said. “All the bullets have been fired and now I’m worried about being hit by bullets.”

His nephew appears and pleads with him to leave Baxter, put down the hose and admit defeat. He was taken to hospital because his eyes were burned by the smoke and he couldn’t see clearly. When he emerged from the emergency room hours later, his neighbor showed him photos of his destroyed home.

“I just burst into tears,” he said. “I can’t believe my house of 30 years burned down. It’s like a nightmare.

‘A downpour of embers’

Jerry Puga lives in a family of firefighters. He is a 22-year LAFD veteran, his son Adrian is a LAFD trainee firefighter, and his daughter’s boyfriend Sam Smiley is also a LAFD firefighter. But even their combined expertise couldn’t save the Purgas home in Altadena.

Puga recalled that at 3:30 in the morning on January 8, I was woken up by the smell of cigarette smoke. He decided to drive nearby to see what was going on and was shocked by the weather he witnessed.

“It was a rain of embers – that’s when I realized the wind was blowing in the direction of my house,” he said. “I quickly realized we had no chance.”

He fled with his family. Just hours later, his home was nothing but ruins. It was difficult for Pooja to accept this reality.

“I would go back every morning for two or three days, thinking I would find different results,” he said. “I was thinking, okay, maybe this isn’t real, maybe this is a nightmare.”

“We’re just broken”

Firefighter John Stuhlman has lived in the San Gabriel Valley his entire life, but after the Eaton Fire destroyed his home, he didn’t think he and his wife, Monica, would be able to return.

“We were just devastated,” he said. “We’re not going to recover from this. We’re already looking at different cities.

The fire destroyed the couple’s most prized possessions — his wife’s wedding ring and dress, Stuhlman’s and his father’s Marine Corps ribbons, his grandfather’s coin collection and family photos dating back to the 1930s.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people about losing their homes, but being a victim is a new experience,” said Stuhlman, a 25-year firefighting veteran with the Marine Corps and LAFD.

After the fire, Stuhlman asked Monica to evacuate and then stayed to protect her home. He was doing a good job managing the Embers cast until suddenly “everything exploded.”

His neighbor’s house, trees and transmission box were all on fire.

He jumped in his car and fled down the street as power lines were blown down and his car was blown over. At the bottom of the block, he stopped and directed about 20 vehicles away from the fire area.

“People were screaming, ‘My house is right there,'” he said. “I tell them, ‘No, it’s all gone, it’s all gone.'”

He was reunited with his wife, who took him to hospital, where he was treated for smoke inhalation and severe burns to his face. He would recover, but his home would not.

“Totally unbelievable”

James Crimmon is a trainee firefighter, but he’s already witnessed what may be one of the most devastating fire storms of his career. It destroyed his childhood home.

“My first reaction was utter disbelief,” he said, describing the moment he discovered the house was missing. “My heart sank. It’s one of those things you don’t want to believe.

The fire also destroyed three generations of family history and heirlooms.

His grandmother, a single mother who raised three children in Altadena, made a living as an entrepreneur and created some of the costumes for the original “Star Trek” TV series.

It was her blood, sweat and tears that allowed the family to purchase Crimmon’s childhood home and his aunt’s home, both of which were destroyed in the Eaton Fire.

Crimmon is still working in the aftermath, helping a stretched Los Angeles Fire Department respond to calls for help across the city.

“Being able to continue to serve people and see the smiles on their faces helps,” he said. “People were so grateful and appreciative. They honked their horns as we drove down the street.

The fire may have destroyed his home, but that didn’t dampen his drive.

“Seeing events like this really made me understand why I made the right decision to become a firefighter,” he said. “Helping the community.”

How to help firefighters affected by Los Angeles wildfires

Here are links to the GoFundMe accounts for firefighters: Baxters, Pugas, Stuhlmans, Clingmons. You can make additional donations to support the firefighter’s recovery at the Los Angeles Firefighters Rescue Association’s website and the Los Angeles County Firefighters Welfare and Welfare Association’s GoFundMe page.