LA deacon, parishioners save church from Eaton Fire with a hose
As he drove frantically past charred buildings along the smoky streets of Altadena in his SUV early on the morning of Jan. 8, Deacon José Luis Díaz had one prayer on his mind: God, please spare my church.
A few hours earlier, Deacon 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.