As the fire roared toward their Altadena home, Vanessa Prata and her parents hurried to pack their car. But they didn't leave, reports the AP. Instead, the Pratas remained in their family home of 27 years, which is somehow still standing even as homes just over a block away burned. And as residents who did flee are kept away by police or military barricades, Prata and her dad have taken it upon themselves to check on their neighbors' homes. "They're sitting in these shelters. They're not sure whether their house survived or didn't survive," Prata said. "Once you know what the situation is, you have an ability to regroup and see what you're going to do moving forward."
Prata, a 25-year-old nursing student, rushed home Tuesday night as many other people evacuated. But her father, Aluizio Prata, who teaches electrical and computer engineering at the University of Southern California, didn't want to go. He didn't think the fire would reach them, but if it did, he wanted to stay and fight it. They spent much of the night at a home up the street, carrying buckets of water, spraying the yard with a hose, and stomping out embers before they spread in the wind gusts. On Friday morning, Prata posted this to an Altadena community group on Facebook: "We are more than happy to drive around and take a picture for any person who would like to see their home or, God forbid, what is left of their home."
The requests came pouring in—as many as 45 by Saturday morning. She and her dad set out on Friday, slowly making their way past fallen trees, downed wires, and burned-out cars. Of more than two dozen homes they visited Friday and Saturday, fewer than half were still standing. "When you get to the person's house and it's gone and you know that you're the one who's going to break the news," she said. "There's no words." She's gratified to be part of the community effort. So many volunteers showed up to help at nearby donation centers Saturday that some were being turned away. "Everyone is pitching in and doing what they can," Prata says. "It's overwhelmingly beautiful to see."
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