ALTADENA, Calif. (KGTV) — In the middle of Southern California’s dangerous wildfires, a former San Diego journalist helped save a preschool in Altadena from the Eaton Fire.
Matthew Weiss, a former Sky10 helicopter pilot, was one of three people who helped preserve Saint Mark’s School when the Eaton Fire threatened to destroy it.
Weiss was in Los Angeles to check on his parent's home after the Eaton Fire broke out two weeks ago.
Once the home was secured, he noticed embers and flames racing toward the nearby Saint Mark’s School.
Weiss went to that school himself as a child and hadn’t been on campus in 30 years. He teamed up with two other men who were on the scene, and all three of them banded together to help fight the flames.
“Started shoveling sand from my childhood sandbox onto the embers to get all the oxygen out of the flames,” said Weiss. “Eventually, we found a bucket with holes in it. And just like a sinking ship, we were just hands and knees, sand in the bucket onto the flames.”
All of this happened in bone-dry conditions with powerful Santa Ana winds.
Weiss said the fire could have destroyed all of the school’s buildings. But thanks to their efforts over several hours, one of those buildings survived.
Now, the school has a hope of recovering.
“I’m glad we were there. I’m glad there’s something to rebuild off of,” said Weiss. “And just to provide a little bit of hope in all the destruction and chaos.”
Weiss is back home in San Diego now, but Saint Mark’s School is raising money to rebuild after the Eaton Fire.
If you would like to donate, visit https://rebuildsms.funraise.org.
