Fire Chief Uses Milk and a 'Couple Beers' He Found in a Refrigerator While Saving Homes from L.A. Fires
Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy was heading to Altadena after he was unable to reach his brother when the Eaton Fire approached
At a neighbor's home, Fennessy took milk and beers to cool off a gas meter that was about to ignite
"This house was just burning and I had to do that a few times till it was done,' he told
A California fire chief had to improvise while trying to save whatever homes were left standing as the Eaton fire threatened a neighborhood in Altadena.
Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy told 60 Minutes and ABC affiliate KABC that while he was checking in on his brother's neighborhood, he saw that the gas meter on one of the homes was about to ignite.
Although he was able to find a hose, there was no water at the time, according to KABC, so he had to make a forced entry into the home.
"I thought I'll check the refrigerator and all that was in there was some milk and a couple beers," Fennessy told the outlet.
"Went back out and kind of ran back there and cooled it off and pulled it back a little bit," he added. "It wasn't completely out, so I wasn't sure if it was going to rekindle, but it was all I could do."
Related: Woman Praises Gardener Who Lost Home in L.A. Fires But Saved Hers as Their Neighborhood Burned: 'An Angel'
After he learned the Eaton fire was spreading to Altadena, Fennessy, who grew up there, tried to reach his brother to make sure he was okay. When he wasn't able to make contact with him, Fennessy made the drive up, 60 Minutes reported.
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Fortunately, his brother did call him to say that he and his family were safely evacuated, but since he was already nearby, he decided to check on his brother's home – which is around the time he discovered the neighboring gas meter.
Related: See the Most Dramatic, Terrifying Photos of the California Wildfire Devastation
For Fennessy, this marked the first time he'd ever put out flames in such an unusual way.
'In this case, yeah, you know, little bit of milk and a couple beers really saved the day,' he said while speaking with 60 Minutes.
Related: Disneyland Hotels Have Taken in at Least 100 Employees Displaced by Wildfires
In the aftermath, he said that only two homes in the neighborhood survived the blaze.
"I think this is our new reality," Fennessy said, according to KABC. "This house-to-house, these urban conflagrations, we're going start seeing them more and more."
As of Friday, Jan. 17, the Eaton Fire, which is currently 65% contained, has left 16 people dead and burned over 14,000 acres, CAL Fire reported.
Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.
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Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
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