For Veteran Firefighter ‘Hot Shot,’ California’s Devastating Fires Hit Close to Home

PASADENA, Calif.—On a particularly cold morning, over a thousand first responders assembled at the Rose Bowl stadium for a briefing before heading out to confront a fire that has devastated nearby areas at the border of the Los Angeles National Forest.

The stadium grounds now serve as a central hub for firefighting teams from across the Western region, alongside law enforcement and military personnel deployed throughout the evacuation zones.

Many of the dedicated individuals present have been engaged in the battle from the start—sleeping in tents on the stadium’s lawn, enduring long hours, and facing an unrelenting combination of weather conditions, difficult terrain, and fierce competition for limited resources as multiple fires rage elsewhere in the county.

“I reflect on the people you have left behind to help us rise from these ashes and rebuild our community,” stated an operations section chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention to the crowd.

The phoenix he referenced symbolizes those who rush toward flames. Greg Stenmo sported one embroidered on his beanie, representing the Little Tujunga “Hot Shots” crew—an elite group of firefighters tackling some of the most formidable wildfires in the country.

He has witnessed the extreme consequences of California wildfires, including the town of Paradise in 2018 in Northern California, the Station fire in Angeles National Forest in 2009, and the loss of colleagues during this challenging journey. Yet, he believes this occurrence is unique.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Stenmo shared. Reflecting on the thousands of homes that have been reduced to ashes just miles from his position, he added, “It feels unimaginable, almost surreal.”

Tragically, Stenmo’s own brother lost his home to the Eaton Fire.

“As a member of this community—someone who loves it and has been affected—I want to express my gratitude. They rarely hear thanks from one another, but I truly appreciate their willingness to answer the call during this demanding period.”

Stenmo was part of two U.S. Forest Service crews stationed in Arcadia, approximately 17 miles northeast of Los Angeles, starting January 6 in preparation for the Santa Ana winds that would hit the Southland with gusts up to 100 miles per hour.

“I anticipated it—I’ve encountered this before, numerous Santa Ana episodes. Since the late 90s, I’ve been involved in most fires here in the area,” said the Southern California local.

“If anything ignited, it was bound to be severe—very difficult to manage.”

Stenmo’s prediction proved accurate.

The Eaton fire, named after the nearby Eaton Canyon nature preserve in the San Gabriel Mountains, ignited the following evening and rapidly expanded overnight, growing from 400 acres to over 10,000. Since then, 17 lives have been lost due to this fire alone, and more than 7,000 structures have been compromised or destroyed.

Earlier on January 7, on the western flank of Los Angeles, the Palisades fire broke out in the Pacific Palisades area, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and the destruction of approximately 5,000 structures. Other smaller fires also posed threats to local neighborhoods.

By January 17, there was a glimmer of hope: Another occurrence of the Santa Ana winds, the parched winds that contribute to many wildfires throughout Southern California, had subsided, leading to the Eaton Fire being 65 percent contained, while the Palisades fire was at 31 percent containment.

On that critical Tuesday, Stenmo began his shift at 6 a.m. and concluded at 10 p.m. the next day, clocking in 40 hours continuously, 30 of which were spent within the danger zone.

His crew arrived at a staging area in Altadena within eight minutes of their dispatch from Arcadia. However, the situation was already spiraling out of control, with the fire advancing so quickly that it was already encroaching on the staging zone itself, requiring his team to adapt swiftly.

He coordinated with another battalion’s command and assigned his vehicles to safeguard a square-mile area near the popular Eaton Canyon hiking trail. Homes began igniting quickly. Stenmo’s team focused on preventing the fire from jumping from house to house while conducting rescues for residents.

“I recall assisting one gentleman out of his house—when I knocked on his door, the entire back of his home was ablaze, and the hallway was glowing orange,” Stenmo recounted. “I helped him and two senior citizens into the cab of my truck. … I instructed a sheriff’s deputy to transport them as far south as possible.”

Another resident informed him he had gotten in his vehicle and tried to escape, but the fire surrounded him from every angle. He retreated back inside, hoping someone would come to rescue him.

Stenmo provides a somber recounting. Unless you experience it firsthand, it’s hard to convey the sheer physicality of 70-mile-per-hour sustained winds—and 100 mph gusts—propelling a raging fire through residential neighborhoods.

“Flames were everywhere. Normally, we establish hoses around the fire’s perimeter—there was no perimeter. Everything was igniting around you. It was an overwhelming volume of fire in the environment, which then spread to structures and continued ravaging through them.”

He deemed the circumstances “unprecedented,” asserting he doesn’t attribute the devastation to a deficiency in resources.

“In eight minutes, you’d need to mobilize 4,000 engines to 4,000 structures? This was all amidst battling the Palisades fire,” he highlighted.

“Even if you threw everything at it, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference. It was destined to run out of fuel eventually.”

The media has spotlighted issues with hydrants and water pressure in the Palisades area, but some agencies reported similar challenges in Altadena. Evacuated residents shared with The Epoch Times that they witnessed fire crews connect hoses to hydrants, only for them to run dry, with water tenders struggling to traverse the hills in time to prevent loss of homes, illustrating a response clearly overwhelmed by the crisis.

Meanwhile, several residents opted to stay or returned to their homes to combat flames with pool water, extinguishing smoldering houses or trees that posed a risk of spreading embers.

The U.S. Fire Service assured The Epoch Times that water supply was not an issue for their teams.

When asked how he endures a grueling 40-hour shift, Stenmo explained that he strives to “sharpen” his focus to avoid making errors due to fatigue.

“To lead the team looking to me for safety and accurate instructions, I work on fine-tuning my awareness of the radio, my commands, and the environment we’re in.”