BBCA brain surgeon from Los Angeles, who fought for nearly a week to save homes on his street from wildfires, told the BBC that he had spent 15 years preparing for such an event.
Dr. Chester Griffith, 62, a Malibu resident, ignored evacuation orders to keep the flames away from the Palisades fire with the help of his son and a neighbor, until emergency services were able to reach them.
Dr Griffiths told the BBC's Today programme: “We always knew a fire would come one day, but we didn't know when.”
“We never imagined it would be so catastrophic and horrific.”
Griffith said he completed brain surgery just hours before returning to his Malibu street last week to fight the fire, joined by his son, Chester Jr., and Colbert.
“The houses were falling like dominoes,” he added.
Fortunately, he and his neighbor, Clayton Colbert, had a plan of action in case such a fire occurred, and they had acquired hoses they could use.
Dr. Griffiths, his son, and Mr. Colbert, tied four hoses to the water hydrants, and positioned themselves on adjacent roofs to sprinkle water on the flames, and used dirt to extinguish the embers on the ground.
“We had burning embers falling on us for about 12 hours,” Dr Griffiths said.
Firefighters only joined the trio for the final few days of their week-long ordeal because resources were “extensively stretched” by the number of fires in the Los Angeles area.
“(The fire department) felt it was not possible to save all the homes,” Dr. Griffiths said.
He says he “totally understands” why the fire service is too busy to help, adding: “That's why it's so important to be trained in advance, to have your own equipment and to really have the support of your community.”
Los Angeles fire crews are still battling two large fires and two smaller blazes, while bracing for more potential destruction.
The Palisades Fire, burning between Santa Monica and Malibu on the city's west side, has burned more than 23,000 acres and is among the most destructive fires in California history.
At least 24 people have died in the fires and 23 others are missing in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones, while more than 90,000 are under evacuation orders.
The population is Preparing for more destruction Weather forecasts indicate that the winds that help fuel the fires may ignite again.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that “urgent preparations” were being made ahead of near-hurricane-like winds expected throughout Tuesday.
President Biden said rebuilding areas of the city burned during nearly a week of wildfires will cost tens of billions of dollars.
