Embers were raining down, the flames were as tall as telephone poles and nearby palm trees were rapidly igniting as Sal Almanza and his firefighting crew arrived at the Los Angeles blazes.
“I’ve never seen anything burn so quick,” said Almanza, 42, recounting the first day of the Eaton fire near Pasadena, California. “Our captains have to make the hard decisions: get yourselves killed or let the house burn.” His eyes welled up recounting the properties devoured as his crew had no choice but to retreat: “I was just so sad and emotional, because there was nothing we could do.”
