Orange County family shares daunting moments Norte Fire approached their home
A San Juan Capistrano father and son are recounting the daunting moments they saw flames from the Norte Fire rapidly spreading towards their home as they rushed to grab what they could and evacuate last week.
Though the fence and palm trees in their backyard are now charred, Robert Brady and his son, Wyatt, said they had only minutes to act after smelling smoke.
"Looks like we're about to lose everything," Robert Brady can be heard saying in the background of a video showing the massive flames quickly approaching their neighborhood on Friday, when the Norte Fire erupted, destroying six homes and burning more than 500 acres.
While the whole family was able to get out safely, Robert Brady said the incident was a stark reminder of how quickly things can change.
"What do you grab? Maybe we should've been a little more prepared," he said, adding that he left his lifelong collection of surfboards in the trust of the Orange County Fire Authority.
After a few hours away, Robert and Wyatt couldn't resist returning to their home to see if it was still standing.
"Wyatt and I snuck back in later that evening and put out all kinds of fires, you know, little fires all over," Robert Brady said.
Along with the palm trees he planted when the backyard was empty, Wyatt said they couldn't help but head back to try to save what his father had worked so hard on over the years.
"My dad had planted these palm trees when they were just tiny, so he's worked on this yard from the bottom up," Wyatt Brady said. "He put in the pool and really spent all those years building this little tropical paradise."
That tropical paradise is now charred, but the Bradys are grateful to firefighters for their quick work, which saved their home from damage.
"It's a good feeling just to know that those childhood memories get to live on and we still get to enjoy Christmas inside this house," Wyatt Brady said.
"I'm just so happy it's still here," Robert Brady said.
The Brady family said their insurance team is expected to visit the house in the next week to assess the damage.
