These Los Angeles firefighters lost their homes in the Eaton fire

These men have dedicated their lives to keeping people's homes from burning, but when the Eaton fire arrived on their doorstep, even their years of firefighting expertise were no match for its ferocity.

“I have never seen anything like this; it's like fighting a hurricane, but instead of water it's flames,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Jerry Puga, describing the fire that burned his Altadena home.

Now these Los Angeles firefighters find themselves in the same situation as many of their neighbors in Altadena – staring at a pile of smoldering rubble and wondering how they can rebuild their lives from the ashes.

The Eaton fire destroyed the homes of at least four LAFD members, one retired member and two members of the Pasadena Fire Department, and displaced at least 15 LAFD families, said Chris Stine, president of the Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Assn. At least three LA County Fire Department firefighters also lost their homes, said a representative of the LA County Firefighters' Benefit & Welfare Assn.

Donation information for fundraisers organized by county and city firefighting organizations, and affected families

These are just a few of the tragic stories of homes and the history of missing firefighters.

'I'm worried about being hit by bullets'

When George Baxter retired after 30 years of fire service, he firmly believed his firefighting days were behind him. That was, until the Eaton fire broke out last week, sending him on one last mission – to save his home.

“I was probably the only person on my street that didn't get out,” said the recently retired LAFD firefighter. “But you know me, since I'm a stubborn firefighter, I'll try to protect my property.”

From 11 pm Jan. 7 to 7 a.m. The next morning, Baxter stood in his yard armed with a garden hose and fought a heroic battle against one of the most destructive storms in California history.

“My fence is on fire, my tree is on fire, my car tire is on fire,” he said. “So I run like a chicken with its head cut off, and as soon as I put out one fire, another one starts.

As he worked through the night, chaos broke out around him. The house on the other side of the road caught fire, causing all the guns inside to go off.

He said: “It felt like a war zone. “All bullets explode, now I'm worried about being hit by bullets.”

It took his nephew to come forward and beg him to leave Baxter to put down the pipe and admit defeat. He was rushed to the hospital because his eyes were burning with smoke and he could not see. When he left the emergency room hours later, his neighbor showed him pictures of his destroyed house.

“I just burst into tears,” he said. “I couldn't believe that my 30-year-old house was burnt to the ground. It's like a nightmare.”

'Coal-cutting rain'

Jerry Puga lives in the firehouse. She is a 22-year veteran of the LAFD, her son Adrian is a probationary LAFD firefighter and her daughter's boyfriend, Sam Smiley, is also an LAFD firefighter. But even their combined expertise could not save the Altadena home of the Pugas.

Puga remembers being woken up by the smell of smoke at 3:30 in the morning. He thought it would be better to go around the neighborhood to see what was going on, and he was shocked by the weather he saw.

“It was raining coals — that's when I realized that the wind was blowing towards my house,” he said. “I soon got to the point where I realized that we didn't have a chance.”

He gathered his family and fled. After just a few hours, his house was nothing but rubble. That fact was difficult for Puga to wrap his head around.

“I went back every morning for two to three days thinking I would get different results,” he said. “I was thinking, okay, maybe this isn't real, maybe it's a bad dream.”

'We're just broken'

Firefighter John Stuhlman has lived in the San Gabriel Valley his entire life, but after the Eaton fire destroyed his home, he doesn't think he and his wife, Monica, will be able to return.

“We're just broken,” she said. “We will not recover from this. We are looking at different cities.”

The fire consumed the couple's most valuable possessions – his wife's wedding ring and dress, his father's Marine Corps ribbons, his grandfather's coin collection and family photos dating back to the 1930s.

“I've talked to a lot of people about losing their homes, but being in the news is a whole new ball game,” said Stuhlman, who has 25 years of firefighting experience in the Marine Corps and LAFD.

When the fire broke out, Stuhlman told Monica to get out and stay behind to protect her home. He was doing a great job managing the ember players until suddenly “everything exploded.”

His neighbors' houses burst into flames, as well as trees and electrical boxes.

He got into his car and ran down the road as the power lines were blown over by the wind and overturned his car. Down the neighborhood, he stopped and directed about 20 cars away from the fire.

“People were yelling, 'My house is up there,'” he said. “And I told them, 'No it's gone, it's all gone.'

He was also reunited with his wife who took him to the hospital where he was treated for smoke inhalation and facial burns. He will recover, but his home will not.

'Total disbelief'

James Clingmon is a probationary firefighter, but he has experienced what could be one of the most devastating storms of his career. And it took his childhood home.

“My first reaction was total disbelief,” he said, describing the moment he found out the house was missing. “My heart hurts. It's one of those things you don't want to believe is real.”

The fire destroyed three generations of family history and heritage.

His grandmother raised three children in Altadena as a single mother, making a living as an entrepreneur and a well-known seamstress who created some of the costumes for the original “Star Trek” television series.

It was his blood, sweat and tears that allowed the family to buy Clingmon's childhood home and his aunt's house, both of which burned to the ground in the Eaton fire.

Clingmon was still working in the aftermath, helping the overburdened LAFD respond to calls across the city.

“It helps to be able to continue working for people and seeing smiles on their faces,” he said. “People are very grateful and appreciative. They hiss as we drive down the road.”

The fire may have taken his home, but it didn't slow him down.

“Seeing an event like this makes me wonder why I made the right decision to become a firefighter,” he said. “To help the community.”

How you can help firefighters affected by the LA wildfires

Here are links to the GoFundMe accounts for the firefighters: Baxters, Pugas, Stuhlmans, Clingmons. Additional donations can be made to support the firefighters' recovery at the Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Assn. and on the LA County Firefighters' Benefit & Welfare Assn.'s GoFundMe page.