A California man who was the only person on his block to escape the Eaton fire has captured an astonishing video showing the devastation in his neighborhood, saying: 'God knew what he had to do to protect me.' he said.
Enrique Balcazar recorded this footage on January 9th when he returned to see what was left of his community in Altadena.
“This is across the street, the corner house and the two houses in front of it, the whole street to my right is destroyed,” he said. “From what I saw, all the houses in my district were burnt down except mine.”
“Why should I go through this? I don't know. I don't think I deserve it. But may God give everyone else enough insurance to rebuild. God knew what he had to do to protect me,” Balcazar added. Be emotional.
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Enrique Balcazar's home (left) in Altadena, California, survived the Eaton Fire. On the right side you can see the neighbor's house next to him. (Enrique Balcazar, via Storyful)
A video shot by Balcazar shows him walking around his property and surveying the damage. As he moved the camera around, the neighborhood appeared to be in ruins, and the eerie caws of crows could be heard in the background.
“Everyone behind me, how is this? How can this be true? Everyone behind me is burned down,” Balcazar continued, explaining how the wood he was using to build an addition to his house was destroyed in a wildfire. I pointed out how it was burned.
“My house is intact, even the wood I was building for the addition to my house. But even my wood was burnt. How could that happen if it weren't for God? My neighbor is gone.” he said.
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Enrique Balcazar's addition to his Altadena home survived the Los Angeles wildfires. However, the Eaton Fire destroyed some of the wood they were using in their backyard. (Enrique Balcazar, via Storyful)
At one point in the video, Balcazar reveals that part of the garage roof is still smoldering.
“The garage is still standing. I can't understand how something like this could happen. This is God,” he said.
“Okay, I'm going to pour water on it right now. Make sure you put it out so it doesn't flare up again,” Bracasar added before the video ended.
Enrique Balcazar's neighborhood in Altadena was devastated by the Eaton Fire. (Enrique Balcazar, via Storyful)
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“And the whole house is still here, thank God,” he said.
