Elderly man was stunned to see his home saved from wildfire. Then he found a note left behind by firefighters

When Anthony Nesburn returned to his Pacific Palisades home after the January wildfires, he wasn’t sure what he would find. His neighborhood had been devastated, and many homes were reduced to ashes. But as he pulled up to his house, he realized that his home had survived. He discovered a letter in his mailbox, and inside, he found a handwritten note from the firefighters who had saved it. “We are so sorry for the devastation your neighborhood has endured. It is truly heartbreaking, and we can only imagine the toll it has taken on everyone affected," the letter read, according to Good News Network.

The message came from four firefighters: Levi, Steve, Matt Goodnough, and Jason from the El Segundo Fire Dept. Engine 31 "C" Platoon. They explained how the fire had been about to engulf his house, with the neighboring home already in flames and the fire spreading to his fence. "The house to the right of you was completely on fire and burning the fence; about to catch your house on fire. We stopped the fire from burning through your side door and kept the fire from your deck and roof," read the message. Although the side door was charred, the rest of the house remained intact, thanks to the firefighters. "When we returned a few days later, it brought us great relief to see that we were able to save your house," they wrote in the letter.

For Nesburn, the home carried sentimental values. His home held the memories of his late wife, Cristina Kenney, who had passed away a year earlier. The thought of losing everything she had left behind had been terrifying. Knowing that these firefighters had fought to protect his house and the things that reminded him of her, he felt nothing but gratitude. But what stood out the most was a small detail the firefighters shared in their note. After battling intense flames, they had taken a brief moment to stand on his deck, look out at the ocean, and breathe. 

They wrote, "Since then, our amazing team has found solace on your deck, gazing out at the beautiful Pacific Ocean. It has offered a moment of calm amidst the chaos." The letter ended with one last message, “The pink ribbon, if it is still there, means the house was a save—and it gave us pride to hang it!”

Nesburn and his family reached out to the El Segundo Fire Department, wanting to personally thank the firefighters. A few days later, they finally met in person during a public ceremony in El Segundo, where the firefighters were honored for their work. That’s when they learned that the crew had even taken selfies on his deck.

During an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, firefighter Goodnough reflected on how much saving Nesburn's home had meant to them. "That was one of our prouder moments being on the incident. There were many houses we saved, but that one, in particular, was just one of those ones that we were proud to…put our—I don’t know if you heard about the pink ribbon, but hanging the pink ribbon was an indication of a save," Goodnough shared.