Firefighter battles the Palisades fire on Jan. 7, 2024.Photo:Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/ Los Angeles Daily News via Getty
As theLos Angeles firesburned in Southern California, some firefighters left notes for homeowners whose houses were saved.
Fire Captain Alec Flatos and other members of the San Luis Obispo Fire Department spent several days battling the Palisades fire, and managed to save multiple homes, according toNBC affiliate KSBY.
Flatos told the station he and his crew “had to break in” to one home so they could close the windows, “and my boots were for sure muddy." After saving the house, the fire captain jotted down a quick note that he left behind for the homeowner, explaining the situation.
The homeowner shared an image of the note onInstagramafter returning to an intact home. The note read, “Sorry for the footprints! Had to close the upstairs bedroom. Hope you have this note and your house. Did all we could. San Luis Obispo Fire. Capt Flatos.”
“Thank you Capt Flatos of the San Luis Obispo Fire Dept. What a beautiful thought,” the homeowner captioned the post, which has garnered over 8,400 likes since being shared on Jan. 12. “What a beautiful gesture.”
This was just one of at least five notes the fire crew left behind at homes they were able to save, according to KSBY.
Baz/Instagram
The notes added “just a little touch of humanity” to the devastating situation, Flatos said, explaining, “I just did it because it seemed like a fun way to reach out to people, because we don’t really ever meet the people whose lives we affect, or are affected in a wild fire.”
Even Flatos’ wife, Lindsay, caught wind of her husband’s gesture after a friend told her about it. “I was like, ‘Oh, what a sweet note, like that is so thoughtful,’ ” she recalled. “And it was like bringing tears to my eyes, and I go, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s my husband!’ "
Flatos’ son, Finn, also saw his father’s notes online. “I was really happy that my dad did that,” he told KSBY. “I think that was really nice.”
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source: people.com
