A Malibu neighborhood While communities can band together to save property during natural disasters, California officials must do more to curb wildfires, said a firefighter who helped save nearly a dozen homes during the Palisades Fire.
Matt Diamond, a local surfer, formed the brigade in his neighborhood after 2018 Woolsey fire — which burned nearly 100,000 acres of land, claimed three lives and forced nearly 300,000 people to evacuate — because of what he described as the need to become “self-sufficient firefighters.”
“We didn't have any fire support for this, and all the people of Malibu had to band together,” Diamond told Fox News Digital. “We stayed and the city manager wouldn't let resources in, so we had to vote on supplies. We had axes, shovels, firefighting equipment, food and water that were taken by boat to Paradise Cove, and we set up a temporary camp. We became fully operational and started patrolling the neighborhood and doing spot checks and rescues.” Neighbors' homes.
Now, he said Los Angeles Fire Department He sees the brigade as a vital resource in home rescue and fire management, because firefighters sent from other locations don't know the area.
Matt Diamond, a Malibu surfer, was part of a neighborhood fire brigade that saved 10 homes during the California wildfires.
As the fires ignited Tuesday, Diamond followed fire trucks toward Sunset Highway and Pacific Coast Highway, and noticed the fire congealing in the Palisades area. He said he traveled back to Malibu and encountered the fire in Tuna Canyon.
“It was dark, and (the wildfires) were moving about a quarter mile every 30 minutes,” he said. “I was with the general and he was taking everything his way.”
A beach house catches fire as the Palisades Fire burns along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, on January 8, 2025. (Agustín Bollier/AFP via Getty Images)
He returned home and packed his belongings, which included a number of surfboards.
“I was Surfing big waves “On a fairly professional level, I have a big competition coming up, so I needed these boards,” Diamond said. “I worked really hard and these are some of the best figure paintings in the world. I took them all to the beach, with my drum kits and my music equipment, and then came home and had my house on fire, all around it. It was quite a sight – talk about experience “Immersive.”
Diamond began helping protect his home and neighborhood, alongside Santa Barbara firefighters. He said he helped “convince” them to save his place.
The next morning, everything was still burning. He said many of his friends from Palisades lost their homes that evening.
“All my great musician friends, in some of the biggest bands in the world, lost all their Grammys,” he said. “The biggest producers in the world who did the biggest projects, from music to TV and movies, who had the most amazing memorabilia I'd ever seen. It was just gone. I was just watching it. Beautiful framed Beatles stuff, memorabilia of the craziest Woodstock era of the 1960s – it's all gone.” “
While the brigade saved about 10 homes, Diamond said the domino effect is the most important part — saving one home could save the four surrounding it as well.
The Palisades Fire burns a beachfront property on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in Malibu, California. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)
Palisades Fire: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt lose their home; Celebrities flee the Ritzy
The city of Malibu confirmed in a statement Thursday that a resident died in the Palisades fire.
“This is a painful reminder of the profound impact this fire has had on our community,” officials wrote. “Malibu is more than just a city – we are neighbors, friends, and family. Even when we don't know someone's name, we all feel their loss. In times like these, we must come together and support each other, and show the resilience that defines our community…”
Diamond encouraged each community to contact local first responders and establish communications with officials.
Matt Diamond captured photos of the damage in Malibu, California, during the wildfires. (Matt Diamond)
Establishing a community communication line using walkie-talkies and satellite radio phones can be very helpful in times of crisis, he said.
“You get the proper clothing and training, you get geared up, and you're ready to save your community,” Diamond said. “We're going to have more natural disasters. It's going to happen constantly. It's climate evolution, and it's just here to stay and grow. You might as well educate yourself and arm yourself to help your community. It's very empowering, and it's necessary.”
When he was growing up, he remembers seeing a lot of forest fires. He remembered that forest and fire management created fire lines.
Burning structures stand in ruins, as strong winds fueling devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires force people to evacuate, in Malibu, California, January 8, 2025. (Daniel Cole/Reuters)
While he acknowledges that sometimes prescribed burns can get out of control, Diamond said they are necessary to protect everyone.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“(The government) is somewhat shy about doing what is needed right,” he said. “Let's say two houses burn down and (the government) gets sued by two people, for 1,000 houses (disappearing) because you didn't do these controlled burns. The governor (Gavin Newsom) needs to attack this, because everyone is pretty much at their mercy.” Bureaucracy and do what needs to be done.”
