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El Segundo honors firefighters, police returning from Jan. 7 Palisades Fire response
Summary
El Segundo officials honored local firefighters and police who joined mutual-aid efforts during the Jan. 7, 2025, Palisades Fire, noting deployments, long shifts, and one home saved with a handwritten note left by firefighters.
El Segundo City recognized members of its fire and police departments who deployed to assist on the Palisades Fire that began Jan. 7, 2025, praising their extended shifts, mutual-aid work and several on-the-ground rescues.
City officials said the El Segundo Police Department deployed 19 officers and four sergeants to the incident, and the El Segundo Fire Department sent two fire engines with eight firefighters. A city official noted some crews spent multiple weeks away from home and that individual firefighters were reported to have gone up to 50 hours on site without sleep.
The city’s unnamed fire chief, speaking at the recognition, applauded the crews’ “service, bravery, courage, and unrelentless effort to save lives and property,” saying, “I cannot even explain. There's no words how proud I am as a fire chief of this fire department.” A city official added, “We're very proud of the fire department, very proud of our police department. They went out and participated as well.”
Officials and members of the public highlighted specific outcomes from the deployment. One speaker described that crews helped save a home and left a handwritten note for the owners explaining what firefighters had done to protect the property. The note read in part: “We're so sorry for the devastation your neighborhood has endured…When we returned a few days later it brought us great relief to see that we were able to save your house.” The speaker added that a pink ribbon placed on the house indicated it had been saved.
A resident who identified themselves as a city employee recounted seeing flames “engulfing the entire area” and said they were devastated but relieved when they found their home intact. Another city official described the scale of mutual-aid response and the “sheer devastation” crews encountered.
Remarks at the event emphasized both the physical toll on responders and the community impact, noting prolonged separations from family and intense working conditions. The ceremony closed with thanks from city representatives and a recorded sign-off from Miguel de Lio of El Segundo Media.
While officials described operational details — deployment numbers, long shifts and at least one house saved — no formal actions, votes or policy changes were recorded during the remarks.
