Stories of heroism from the Eaton Fire continue to emerge as a symbol of strength and inspiration as Altadena continues to rebuild. As the fire-stricken city looks toward the future, one community member is reflecting on how he helped save a block, thanks in part to his son who wouldn’t leave his side.
Looking at the destruction in Altadena, it’s clear the battle to save the community was a block-by-block, home-by-home effort. On West Terrace Street, 80-year-old Theodore Seavers was at the center of the firefight.
“If I could have done more, I would have done more and I’d do it again”, he said.
The retired Department of Water and Power worker has lived in his Altadena home for 50 years. When he saw his neighbors’ homes catching fire, he decided to stay and fight.
“I never did anything like this in life. I guess it was time for me to step up to the plate,” Seavers, a Navy veteran, said.
Meanwhile, his son Kyle Seavers evacuated the rest of the family. Kyle said he repeatedly returned to try to convince his father to leave.
“That fourth time I was like, I can’t leave my dad up there, regardless of what’s going on,” said Kyle Seavers.
So Kyle stayed, as well.
The father and son duo fought through the night, into the morning and the next day, beating back flames from neighbor’s homes and eventually their own. Their tiresome fight went on long after the public water sources went dry.
The Seavers fought flames up and down their street but in the chaos, smoke, and darkness, it was hard to know what was happening just yards away. Anthony and Justin Mitchell, who are both disabled, died in their home awaiting a rescue that never came.
“If I had known that, I would have said, ‘Let’s go down there and break into the house the best we can and bring them out,'” the elder Seavers said. “That still hurts me.”
Still, joining forces with other family, childhood friends, and neighbors who were previously strangers, they were able to protect most homes on their block. Seavers said that new sense of unity is as valuable as the properties that brought them together.
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