A 24-year-old climatologist, Edgar McGregor, used his expertise and social media presence to warn residents of the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, urging them to evacuate before official orders were issued. His timely warning is credited with saving numerous lives.
A 24-year-old climatologist who graduated from San Jose State University is being credited for saving lives when the fire erupted in the Altadena area of Los Angeles County. On the night of Jan. 7, when the Eaton Fire broke out, Edgar McGregor, who now lives in Altadena, recorded an urgent message and blasted it on social media, warning fellow residents of how dire the situation was even before evacuation orders were issued. He told his neighbors to get out.
"You know, what was most fearful-- the conditions on the ground in Altadena mirrored that in Lahaina, Hawaii, back in August 2023 and Paradise, California, back in November 2018," the climatologist said. "There were a lot of fuels in the mountains. It hadn't rained in several months and the winds were really powerful, and I was really worried about a fire breaking out.
CLIMATOLOGY DISASTER PREVENTION COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILDFIRE CALIFORNIA
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