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Retired LA County firefighter springs into action to protect his Malibu home from Palisades Fire

Retired fire chief saves his Malibu home from Palisades Fire
Retired fire chief saves his Malibu home from Palisades Fire 04:01

A retired Los Angeles County Fire Department captain sprung into action when the Palisades Fire began to approach his home in Malibu last week, all while other homes in the surrounding area were already on fire. 

Video taken by Chris Hanson shows just how close the flames got to his home last Tuesday, when the worst of the fire was ripping along the LA County coastline. 

He credits work from firefighters on scene and from the defensible space that he had around his property. 

While he was successful in his efforts, he's now shifted his efforts to help the people living around him. With winds once again picking up to start the week, he's keeping his eyes open.

"I think we're looking really good ... I don't think the winds are gonna be like they were on Tuesday night, that was a different type of a wind event," Hanson said. "I mean, there are structures around here that lost pretty big metal girders that were ripped out of the ground."

Some of his neighbors are in their 90s, one of whom is bedridden. He's dropped off lanterns so they won't have to rely on candles, and 

"That's my priority," he said. "The other five are doing great. We all have generators and we're prepared. But, that one couple I feel awful for. That's a twice a day check now."

He wasn't the only one staying busy on Monday, with droves of National Guardsmen stationed outside of his house, as well as electrical crews working on power poles along Pacific Coast Highway. 

On top of this, a team of Tesla Cybertrucks also headed to the area, allowing for Starlink satellite technology to bring WiFi signal to the area, where first responders were previously having connectivity issues. 

"This is essential for our public information officers," said Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Adam Van Gerpen. "And for our incident commanders, even for our strike teams who are out there trying to communicate. We have radio communications, but this will enable cell phone and wireless communication."

More strong winds are predicted to descend upon Southern California late Monday, bringing yet another "Particularly Dangerous Situation" to the region, per the National Weather Service. 

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