credit – Susan Hopkins, via Altadena Weather And Climate Group, Facebook.

A weather enthusiast and passionate community volunteer saved a Pasadena neighborhood by broadcasting two simple words to his social media channels in early January: “Get out.”

Wherever the chips fall in the aftermath of the recent spate of wildfires in northern LA, and whoever gets the book thrown at them—and for whatever reason—one man can hold up his hand and say he did everything that could have been done.

Edgar McGregor, a climatology graduate at San Jose State University, leader of the Altadena Weather and Climate group on Facebook, and publisher of the WeatherMcGregor service on Patreon, picked up on every clue that the fire risk in Altadena was going to be terrifyingly high on the evening of January 7th.

Two days in advance of the Eaton Fire, McGregor advised his followers that “the fire danger is going to be sky-high,” in and around Eaton Canyon, and that they should have their go-backs ready, their cars already packed for evacuation, and one eye on the horizon at all times.

McGregor was monitoring a developing storm front, the kind that tends to magnify the already-high winter winds of Santa Ana which come blustering down the canyon that sits on a northeast-southwest path which mirrors the winds’ trajectory.

According to Local News Pasadena, McGregor was well aware these conditions resulted in two major weather events: in 1993 that involved a wildfire, and in 2011 that resulted in thousands of downed trees, stoved-in houses, and smashed cars.

At 6:15 p.m. on January 7th, amid 70 mph winds, downed transmission lines provided the spark. Around 4 a.m. the next morning, McGregor logged onto his Facebook account and made a video. In so many words, his message was simple “GET OUT.”

“Don’t wait, pack your car; photo albums, medications, birth certificates, social security cards, anything you can’t live without, put it in your car. This is imminent. Do not wait for an official evacuation… Get out!”

Unbelievably, his was the only alert that 2,500 members of the Altadena Weather and Climate Community received for nearly an hour as they streamed down the hills in their cars by the hundreds.

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Local News Pasadena collected some of the messages of these residents, who recognized that this one local weather enthusiast had done what many in the largest state government in the country had failed to do—predict, prepare, and prewarn.

“Edgar McGregor is an actual American hero. I am so grateful to him for sharing his vast knowledge. My pets and I would have burned along with my home had I not heeded his warnings.” – Tori Silverman.

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“I texted a friend after seeing Edgar’s post who didn’t know about the fire or evac. She was able to get her family out before losing her home.” – Elsa Tatom.

“I want to give a shout-out to Edgar McGregor for saving so many lives. Everywhere I go in Pasadena, I run into people who tell me that this 24-year-old guy on the internet told them this was going to happen a week and a half ago and they were ready to go. And they left and they were safe.” – Susan Hopkins.

There are other messages that should be read.

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