From California comes a story of heroism buried in the ashes of a recent wildfire.
As reported by the American Red Cross, Malibu resident Johnny Constantine might have saved himself first, but instead raced towards the fire as it approached his friend’s house, determined to ensure they escaped as well.
Smoke and embers from the recent Franklin Fire filled the air as the red glow illuminated his friends’ backyard.
“I saw the lights were out, but the bell worked. I kept hitting the button and yelling from their gate to wake up,” Constantine recounted. “The fire was so close—the smoke, red glow, and embers looked like it was going to come over the hill onto their property at any moment.”
After 15-20 tense minutes of honking, shouting, and ringing the bell, his friends finally woke up and escaped just as the fire neared their home. “I didn’t leave until they were safe,” Constantine said.
Thanks to a mixture of rain, low temperatures, and a lack of wind, the Franklin Fire stalled on its path across the Malibu hills. Shortly after Constantine’s evacuation, the fire was around 30% contained.
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State officials said fire activity was minimal and there was no significant fire growth by mid-December. The last update placed the number of structures destroyed at 13, compared to the over 1,200 destroyed in the Dixie Fire.
GNN recently reported on the partnership between CAL Fire and Univ. of California San Diego that aims to monitor over 1,000 cameras for forest fire activity with AI. The use of these cameras alerted firefighters to the beginnings of 77 forest fires before a 911 call had been made about any of them.
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Constantine was able to visit an American Red Cross evacuation shelter at Palisades, just one that the organization maintains for sheltering those fleeing these fires.
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