Pasadena honors officers' heroic actions during Eaton Fire
The Pasadena Police Department recognized the officers whose heroic rescue efforts saved lives during the deadly Eaton Fire.
Police Chief Gene Harris released images and body cam footage at a news conference on Thursday, of officers who "worked under extreme conditions to save numerous lives."
The department wrote in a statement, the videos show the first-hand account of the split decisions officers had to make to help save residents.
"As is the Pasadena Way, these folks in uniform — dispatchers, police and fire, public works — Pasadena answered the call to the fire. It was remarkable."
Detective Marshon McIntosh was one of about 90 officers who immediately responded while the flames consumed buildings and the fire continued to push further toward the city center. McIntosh went above and beyond to help save about 40 people from Two Palms Senior Care Facility.
"If this building goes, we are going with it. We are with these people," McIntosh said. "They are not going to die while I am here.
It has been almost a month since the Eaton and Palisades fires erupted in Southern California. The fires were fueled by "life-threatening" Santa Ana winds and extremely dry conditions, according to fire officials.
The fires broke out on Jan. 7 within hours of each other and quickly caused widespread destruction in communities. Thousands of residents were under mandatory evacuation orders as flames inched closer to homes. Some residents were forced to flee without having enough time to grab essential items.
"Embers are flying on top of bodies," McIntosh recalled. "Everyone was on fire. I told staff to start loading people up in their cars."
As the fire raged through the night, 70% of the department risked their lives to rescue people still in their homes.
"This is why we are here, this is that moment that we have to do our job," McIntosh said.
Detective Alejandro Loess spent hours going door to door, clearing hundreds of homes as the smoke and flames surrounded them. Loess, like many other officers, grew up in Pasadena.
"Watching these homes, family friends' homes burn, it definitely has an impact," he said. "It was a night that you don't think you are ever going to see in a career and then it happened."
The Eaton Fire became the second most destructive fire in California history after destroying 9,418 buildings.
It also killed 17 people by the time firefighters fully contained the blaze, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. The Eaton Fire is the deadliest blaze since the Griffith Park Fire in 1933.
