Firefighters Pull Keepsakes from L.A. Home During Wildfire: ‘Trying to Save Some Photos’

Firefighters working tirelessly during the Los Angeles wildfires managed to retrieve some sentimental items from a burning home.

In footage captured by local NBC affiliate KNBC, multiple firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department were seen bringing items out of the home — including stacks of photo albums filled with memories.

When asked by a reporter if they were indeed retrieving keepsakes, one firefighter responded, saying, “Yeah, just trying to save some photos.”

The firefighters were removing items from a residential neighborhood on Lachman Lane when the fires began to rage on Tuesday, Jan. 7.  They told the outlet they hoped retrieving personal items would give the homeowners comfort amid the devastating fires.

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Related: L.A. Fire Chief Says There Is Not Enough Personnel to Handle Fires: ‘We’re Doing the Best We Can’

KNBC’s Karma Dickerson, who saw the heartwarming act, explained what she witnessed at the scene.

“They did try to make an effort to save some of the items that were inside the home,” Dickerson said. “I was watching them carry out family’s keepsakes. It was pretty extraordinary for them to make that a priority, understanding that the house would likely be lost.”

In an update on Wednesday, Jan. 8, the Pacific Palisades fire is now considered the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles County, the Associated Press reported — as an estimated 1,000 structures have been destroyed throughout the county on the second day of the wildfire.

The fire has now spread across 11,802 acres and is 0% contained, according to CalFire. Wind gusts up to 60 mph “are expected to continue” throughout Thursday, Jan. 9.

There are currently five wildfires burning, which have resulted in the deaths of two people and the evacuation of at least 30,000 residents.

During a press conference on Wednesday alongside California fire officials, President Joe Biden said federal assistance would be offered to Southern California to help battle the wildfires, assuring that the federal government is “prepared to do anything and everything for as long as it takes to contain these fires and help reconstruct.”

Related: L.A. Residents Describe Shock and Surprise as They Fled Fast-Growing Fire Burning Through the City: 'We Were Choking on Smoke'

“It’s going to be a hell of a long way. It’s going to take time,” President Biden said.

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