During the catastrophic Palisades Fire in Southern California, two LA firefighters were deeply moved by a homeowner's generous act of kindness. Facing extreme conditions and destruction, Mahsa Naghash gave the firefighters a handcrafted tile as a token of appreciation for their bravery. Touched by her gesture, the firefighters returned days later with a heartfelt thank-you note, highlighting the power of compassion even in the darkest of times.
In the first discouraging and chaotic hours of the Palisades Fire , an evacuating homeowner's kindness lifted the spirits of two heroic firefighters. They returned to the home later with a heartwarming thank-you note. Los Angeles firefighters and a woman whose home they protected from the Palisades Fire proved that kindness and courage can be a powerful combination in a time of tragedy and devastation.
Mahsa Naghash and her husband were forced to evacuate from their Pacific Palisades home on January 7 as flames and hot embers fanned by a Santa Ana windstorm threatened their neighborhood. Video from the first hours of the fire, which destroyed thousands of structures, showed a neighbor's house catching fire in an unsettling scene. But before Naghash evacuated, she wanted firefighters to know how much their heroic efforts in the face of brutal conditions were appreciated. Naghash gave them a hand-crafted tile she bought at a historic mosque in her home country of Iran. LAFD firefighter-paramedic Andrew Mott said Naghash's thoughtful gesture meant much more. It was a bright spot at a discouraging time as flames burned entire neighborhoods to the ground. Firefighters have described conditions on January 7 as among the worst they've ever seen. The fire started that morning and, pushed by 60 mph to 80 mph wind gusts in the initial hours, grew to become the third-most destructive fire on record in California. 'It was unbelievable, truly. To experience that level of wind, that speed of wind, with a fire behind it,' said LAFD firefighter-paramedic Tony Verdecia. 'We are the people supposed to be bringing a solution and there was a feeling of… we’re not able to. 'These weren’t just homes. These weren’t just buildings. These were people. These were families that were either losing everything or on the brink of losing everything.' In what seemed like an unlikely outcome when they left, the Naghashs' house was damaged, but still standing. When she returned a few days later, there was a note on the door. Here's what it said: 'Hello, This note is from Andrew and Tony, the 2 firemen you met, and gifted the tile to. We came back to check on you and your home. We are thankful to see the main portion of your home is ok. I’m sorry about the loss in the backyard. We hope you are safe and doing ok. If you like to stay in touch, feel free to reach out. Respectfully, Andrew and Tony with the LA City Fire Department.' 'I don’t know how to describe my feeling to be honest with you. I don’t know what to say,' she said. 'If I want to start talking, I can’t stop crying. It's been nearly two weeks since the start of the historic wildfires in Southern California, here's a look back at the moments captured in the first 24 hours of the devastation. Photographer Sean Browning reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on January 19, 2025. NBCLA tracked down the two firefighters with help from social media. They said they saw a previous NBCLA report detailing Naghash's experience. Mott said the tile held special meaning for him. He has visited Iran several times in what he described as life-changing journeys. The firefighters said they left Naghash's home on the chaotic and night of January 7 to continue the fight elsewhere. They returned the next day with the note. 'In a moment when there’s so much destruction all around us and she’s on the brink of losing her family’s home, and she thinks, 'Let me bless them with a gift,'' Verdecia said. The firefighters and their families plan to get together with the Naghash family for dinner in the months ahead. 'I felt like I really couldn’t do enough in that moment to really say thank you,' Mott said. 'So it really sat heavy on Tony and my heart. We just wanted to take that extra effort, take that extra effort to return that generosity and return that kindness. The Palisades Fire has destroyed 6,770 structures. It was at 23,400 acres Thursday with containment at 72 percent. Twenty-eight deaths have been confirmed in the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire in Altadena, which started the night of January 7
California Wildfires Palisades Fire Firefighters Kindness Homeowner Gratitude Tragedy Disaster Relief
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