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| Edgar McGregor, who offers weather and climate information on social media from Altadena, California, warned residents to get out quickly as the wildfires escalated quickly earlier this month. His warnings are credited with saving an unknown number of lives as people heeded his messages. |
I thought I'd highlight a few, mostly in video reports that you see below.
First, though, we introduce you to Edgar McGregor, 24.
Altadena Life Saver
McGregor is one of those weather geeks you find on line, a little like me, but much better. For several years, he's been the leader of the "Altadena Weather and Climate" group on Facebook.
Days before the fire, he was passing on tips to Altadena residents, warning them that a serious fire weather was coming, to gather their important documents and go bags. He even told people to park their cars front end toward the street, which would make hasty evacuations quicker.
McGregor saw the Eaton Fire as it was just starting that horrible windy day. It would go on to devastate neighborhoods in Altadena and elsewhere.
The expertise McGregor gleaned over the years made him understand shortly after the fire stated it was just getting going on a mountainous area, with thick brush and wind funneling through that area. He knew the blaze would establish a powerful fire front that would mow through neighborhoods.
So he started warning residents to flee even before any official evacuation orders had been issued by county authorities. As the fire just started to gain steam, he released a 31-second video on social media: "Don't wait for an official evacuation notice,!" he said in the video, smoke visible billowing behind him. . "If you think you should leave, get out!
People trusted McGregor because he's not one to overhype weather events, a very smart move on his part. He doesn't do his thing just for clicks and likes. "You know I don't overhype things, you know that if I'm saying it, it's serious, and you need to take it serious, and you need to get out," he told ABC7.
As a result, when McGregor offered his strongly worded warnings, people fled immediately. People who did heed McGregor's warnings said he saved their lives.
For the record, McGregor himself escaped the fire unharmed and his house is still standing.
VIDEOS
The Photographer:
I've really got to hand it to the local journalists in the Los Angeles area who covered the wildfire disaster. They brought quick information, insight, serious investigations and most important humanity to this horrible event.
Gina Ferazzi is a veteran photographer, a Pulitzer Prize winning one, for the Los Angeles Times is featured in a video from the paper showing what it's like to cover a wildfire calamity like this. Stick to the end, too as some of Ferazzi's incredible photographs are shown. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.
The Note
Examples of generosity and kindness keep emerging from the ashes of southern California neighborhoods.
In one case, a woman, originally from Iran had years ago purchased a tile at a historic mosque in her home country. As she fled her Pacific Palisades home ahead of the wildfires gave two firefighters the tile as a token of her appreciation.
The woman returned days later to discover firefighters had saved her home and a note was attached to her door. It was from the two firefighters, thanking the woman for the gift and wanting to keep in touch.
The video news story tells it better. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that:
The Beer Coolers
Los Angeles television station ABC7 tells the story of a family who returned after their evacuation to find their house destroyed by the fire. But they also found two blue beer coolers that had been mysteriously left in their driveway.
They opened the coolers to find their family photos stacked inside.
Turns out firefighters were trying to save the family's home, but the fire roared through the attic and the firefighters realized the fight to save the house was lost. But on the way out of the house, they pulled down the family photos from walls and shelves and stashed them in the coolers, hoping to at least save them.
The plan worked, as this wonderful to watch news video shows. Again, click on the link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that.
The Paintings
In another case of a few saved belongings, an NBCLA reporter during the firestorm encountered a man trying to escape his home on a bike while struggling with some paintings under his arms. There's no way the man could have managed with those paintings on his bike.
So the reporter grabbed the paintings and promised to keep them in safekeeping until they could meet again. The reporter did give the paintings back. Click here to view the news video, or if you see the image below, click on that.
The Marriage Proposal
One particular couple in Altadena were among thousands that lost their homes. Brian McShea had just purchased an engagement ring before the fire, but when they fled, he left it in a desk drawer.
Miraculously, he found the ring in the rubble and proposed on the spot. Spoiler: She said yes. Click on this link to view or if you see the image below, click on that:
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