Altadena man used garden hoses to help save 7 homes, including his own, from the Eaton Fire
Altadena man used garden hoses to help save 7 homes, including his own, from the Eaton Fire
ALTADENA, Calif. — A neighbor did what thousands were urged not to do when he stayed behind amid mandatory wildfire evacuations and saved his home and multiple others nearby with garden hoses and the help of a few fellow residents.
Antonio Antonetti, 66, said it wasn’t in his fabric to run as flames approached his part of Altadena and began jumping from home to home, transported by embers, on the morning of Jan. 8.
“I was raised to confront my problems, my fears,” he said in the driveway of his still-standing home. “I was not educated to fly away from fear, from pain, or from anything.”
Antonetti said he was also inspired by his practice of Buddhism, which he says taught him to take action, and also by the prospect of navigating red tape, government assistance and insurance claims should he lose the property.
Antonio Antonetti stands outside his home in Altadena, Calif., which he saved from the Eaton Fire, on Saturday.Maggie Vespa / NBC News“I don’t want to depend on the insurance companies,” he said. “That’s way too much hassle for me.”
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