7 months ago
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LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — A antheral tasked with protecting the Los Angeles country from raging wildfires present ranks among those who person mislaid their homes and everything inside.
Capt. Al Hugo, a 32-year seasoned of the Los Angeles Fire Department, lived successful his Altadena location with his wife, Carmen, for 20 years.
As the Eaton Fire ignited connected Jan. 7, the fast-moving blaze yet reached Hugo’s neighborhood.
He and his woman rapidly evacuated with their 4 dogs, leaving their belongings behind. Although wildfires person threatened his assemblage before, helium said the flames had ne'er reached his vicinity until now.
The adjacent day, the household learned their location was wholly destroyed by the fire.
“It was surreal," Hugo told Nexstar's KTLA. "It's achy due to the fact that you’ve [spent] a batch of clip there. I’ve been determination for 20 years truthful I got a batch of memories and a batch of mementos that we lost, but I’m conscionable thankful that my household and my pets are good.”
The Hugo family's location aft it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. (KTLA)
The Hugo family's location aft it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. (KTLA)
The Hugo family's location aft it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. (KTLA)
The Hugo family's location aft it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire. (KTLA)
Al Hugo speaks to KTLA's Jennifer McGraw successful Altadena connected Jan. 14, 2025. (KTLA)
Despite moving to prevention others, Hugo and his household mislaid everything. As they enactment to find their adjacent steps, he’s thankful his household wasn't injured and is urging anyone who is capable to assistance victims, to bash so.
“My communicative is not unique, we’re 1 of many,” Hugo said. “We’re proud, but we request help. Not conscionable myself, but everyone else.”
He loves the Altadena assemblage and said he’s touched by however everyone has been stepping up to assistance each other.
“The city’s resilient,” helium said. “It’s a close-knit assemblage and we’re going to instrumentality together. And from what I’ve heard from the radical I’ve talked to, they privation to rebuild.”
A GoFundMe leafage to assistance the Hugo Family rebuild can beryllium recovered here.
As of Wednesday, the Eaton Fire remains astatine 14,117 acres with 45% containment. Over 7,000 structures and homes were damaged oregon destroyed and astatine slightest 25 radical person been killed betwixt the Eaton and Palisades Fire, which some ignited connected the aforesaid day.
