Pasadena fire chief, a former Sacramento firefighter, is grateful for resources sent by former department
PASADENA – Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustin spent 20 years as a firefighter in Sacramento before taking the top job as Pasadena chief.
Augustin stood in front of his city's historic Rose Bowl, transformed into a command center for the deadly Eaton Fire with firefighters from across the state descending into Pasadena.
"I hope I don't get emotional," Augustin said. "Tuesday night when my community is burning up and Altadena lost probably half of their town, I'm so grateful for the Sacramento area for the resources that they sent."
Augustin described an apocalyptic scene in Pasadena this week.
"I'm not sure you can ever be ready for what we saw Tuesday night," he said.
Now Pasadena is now repopulating by lifting its evacuation orders. People are warned not to drink the tap water and Power is still out.
"Our belief was to start the healing process people need to be able to get to their homes," Augustine said.
Before taking on his role as Pasadena fire chief, Augustin spent two decades at the Sacramento Fire Department, eventually elevated to deputy fire chief.
"What's ironic is my whole career, we've always said we're going to support other cities in their time of need because you never know. When it's going to be role reversal and we're going to need that help," Augustin said.
The City of Sacramento fire department now has 39 firefighters on the Los Angeles County fire lines. Sacramento Metro has another 15.
Firefighters that Augustin has served side-by-side with before are now teamed up again for this worst-case scenario wildfire.
"I have, it's been a bright spot in my day just to see familiar faces, and knowing that there is a lot of love and a lot of help that is coming down to help this community," Augustin said.
Augustin said the next few days of winds will be the next challenge for his fire department. Then they will have to worry about mud and debris flows when rains come.