Deacon, parishioners save Altadena church from Eaton Fire with a hose
As he drove frantically past charred buildings along the smoky streets of Altadena in his SUV early Wednesday morning, Deacon José Luis Díaz had one prayer on his mind: God, please spare my church.
A few hours earlier, Díaz and his family had been roused from their beds by a cellphone alert ordering them to evacuate as fierce, dry Santa Ana winds pushed the Eaton Fire into their Altadena neighborhood. They packed up a few belongings and went to the Pasadena Convention Center nearby, one of several public shelters set up for local evacuees.
Shortly after falling asleep in a cot, he was awakened again — this time by his wife.
“José Luis, they’re saying the church is on fire!” his wife, Maria Esther, told him.