In the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 8th, Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Captain Christopher Klimpel and a crew from Fire Station 14 were finally headed back to the Pacific Palisades command post.

Captain Klimpel, alongside Engineer Slater Davies, Firefighter Eric Lazar, and Firefighter/Paramedic (FF/PM) Daniel Fortune, had spent nearly 24 total hours battling the blaze in the surrounding community.

The team was grateful for the brief Wednesday morning reprieve before their next assignment.

On the way down the hillside, the crew came across a house that was almost completely engulfed in flames from the inside out.

Assessing the scene, they noticed that the neighboring house on the left side nearest the blaze was fully intact, separated by an extremely flammable row of pine trees.

Strategizing whether to save a home is one of the more challenging game-time calls that firefighters must make when it comes to fast-moving, wind-driven wildfires. Among the factors considered are the wind and its direction and force. The topography comes into play as well; whether a home is on a flat hill, uphill, or nestled in a canyon are all ways to gauge its susceptibility to being overwhelmed by fire. How close a home is to other homes and the potential extent of damage are things that firefighters assess in a matter of seconds.

Perhaps most importantly, Captains must weigh whether a situation that firefighters go into is one that they can retreat from safely if need be.

Captain Klimpel described looking at the house, adjacent to a growing fire that threatened to overtake it, saw the houses next to it, and decided that there was an opportunity. “I think we need to try and save this house,” he remembered saying.

The exhausted but determined crew went to work. Engineer Davies put the engine into position and Firefighter Lazar climbed on top to engage the wagon battery and deliver a high volume of water to the fire quickly. Captain Klimpel and FF/PM Fortune went to work with their hoses.

“It’s just like a chain reaction, and you have to break it at some point,” Captain Klimpel said of how quickly fires can jump from house to house.

While they were prepping the untouched home and working to minimize the radiant heat from the fire, a car pulled into the driveway. A man stepped out, overcome with emotion as he saw how close the fire was to what appeared to be his home.

Captain Klimpel recalled putting his hand on the man’s shoulder and saying, “Hey man, I think you’re good,” as the fire was no longer a threat to his home. After stabilizing the situation, the team continued down to the command post without much additional thought.

Unbeknownst to them, the Fire Station 14 crew had saved the home of Chuck Lorre – a TV producer, writer, and director known as the “King of Sitcoms.” Lorre had snapped a photo of the engine before they drove away and was determined to find the men who had protected his home.

He connected with the LAFD Foundation who helped facilitate Lorre’s visit to Fire Station 14 to thank the firefighters who kept his home safe.

“We don’t normally get to see the other person and see how what we did changed their life,” Firefighter Lazar reflected. It wasn’t until they were deployed to the second incident command, which led them further up the Pacific Coast Highway, that they understood the extent of the damage. Saving one house felt rather insignificant in the grand scheme of destruction.

“We didn’t do anything extraordinary,” Captain Klimpel said humbly to Lorre. “We just happened to be there at the right time.”

But for Lorre and his family, it was hugely significant. “To meet him and to have saved his house – I was so appreciative of that,” Lazar said of the experience.

In addition to generous contributions to both the LAFD Foundation and Fire Station 14, located on South Central Avenue in South Los Angeles, Lorre shared the below message via a vanity card at the end of his CBS series, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage:

To the crew of LAFD Fire Truck 14,

You saved my home. You made a snap decision to stop a rampaging fire that had already destroyed my neighbor’s house. In doing so, you spared me incredible heartache. There are no words that can adequately express my gratitude. Maybe I can buy all you guys a nice dinner and you can watch a grown man cry tears of joy over his chicken parm. Let me know.

Thank you, thank you, thank you,

Chuck Lorre