People impacted by the Palisades Fire form volunteer fire brigade as they work to rebuild their community, months after thousands of homes were destroyed by the Palisades Fire.
There have already been similar groups formed in Altadena and Topanga, joining the already established team in Malibu- so it is becoming a common trend across Los Angeles County, in a response to the series of wildfires in early January.
Joel Pollak is one of those volunteers, who recalled the chaotic moments that he and two men were able to save his home, and a row of others alongside it.
Pollak shared: “Two guys drove up in a pickup truck. I had never seen them before. I think they were handymen from the neighborhood and they volunteered to help, so the three of us took a couple more buckets and we formed an assembly line putting out the fire at my house.”
He believes their actions played a large part in keeping his home standing. Unfortunately though, hundreds of others burned, something he says points to system failures.
Pollak said of firefighters attempting to battle the flames on January 7: “Even when they were able to show up, they didn’t have water. No pressure in the hydrants, not any water in the reservoir.
“There were also so many other things that local people struggled with. The traffic jam on Sunset Boulevard that resulted in the fire department having to bulldoze those cars, and really could’ve cost many people their lives.”
Now, he and five of his neighbors have turned their focus on strengthening what his three-man assembly line was able to accomplish months ago. He said: “Ordinary neighbors who just wanted to be part of something. That’s why we started the Marquez-Knolls Volunteer Fire Department.”
Marquez-Knolls’ group already has a truck and water tanks and if possible they’ll look to train with Los Angeles’ firefighters. Pollak said that he imagines they’ll be able to help in an even broader sense when it comes to emergency response.
He continued: “Direct traffic, they can guide people in evacuations, that can communicate with law enforcement and with the fire department, that can offer advice or first aid and that can offer some basic firefighting skills before the trucks arrive, before the professionals arrive or if they can’t arrive.”
“We’re not trying to become firefighters, we want to work with the fire department and do things to help prepare the community for an emergency. Making sure people are ready for an emergency — because we weren’t.”
As they continue to put together the first pieces of their team, they’ve started an online fundraiser to help pay for basic materials like walkie talkies and training.
After thousands of homes were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, a group of local’s have formed a volunteer fire brigade, echoing similar groups across Los Angeles County.
