After the devastating California wildfire last month, Tony Nesburn, a Pacific Palisades resident, was anxious to return to his home and assess the damage inflicted by the January fire. His house, with its ocean view, held irreplaceable memories of his late wife, Cristina Kenney, who had passed away the previous year.
Cristina’s belongings held deep sentimental value for Tony, and he desperately hoped they had been spared from the flames. To his and his family’s immense relief, they discovered that Tony and Crissie’s home had been miraculously saved.
Upon returning on January 24, Tony found a heartfelt letter in his mailbox from four firefighters who had heroically saved his home. The firefighters wrote of their sorrow for the neighborhood’s devastation, expressing that they could only imagine the toll it had taken on everyone. They shared their relief at having saved Tony’s house, explaining how they stopped the fire from spreading from the burning house next door, protecting his side door, deck, and roof. The firefighters added that they had found solace on his deck, gazing at the Pacific Ocean, finding a moment of calm amidst the chaos.
They also mentioned the pink ribbon, signifying the house was saved, and expressed pride in hanging it. The firefighters concluded by assuring Tony that he and his neighbors were in their thoughts as they rebuilt and recovered.
Tony and his family contacted the firefighters in El Segundo and discovered they had taken selfies from his deck. They all met for the first time during a public ceremony in the Los Angeles beach town to honor the local heroes. Tony’s cousins told GNN that they could not express how important it was that all of his late wife’s things had been preserved. One cousin, Ana de Luna, wrote that it felt like a miracle and that they all believed Crissie was helping the firefighters from the afterlife