During a California wildfire, two brothers stepped into action, fighting off flames using garden hoses to protect homes in their neighborhood before firefighters could arrive.
On Thursday, in the Talmadge neighborhood of San Diego, a fast-moving fire, known as the Fairmount Fire, erupted in the area. As the blaze quickly spread, local residents, including brothers James and Louie Pendley jumped in to help protect homes along Montezuma Road.
The brothers were on their way to visit a friend when they spotted smoke from the fire and decided to drive toward the danger, NBC San Diego reported.
"I don't know — my brother and I were in the area," Louie said. "We just decided, like, 'We see smoke, we're guys.' We're like, 'Hey, let's just see what's going on.'"
Arriving before emergency personnel, the two began using garden hoses to douse flames creeping up fences and palm trees in the backyard of several homes.
"Planes and helicopters flying over, but none of the water was coming down on us," James told the outlet. "We had to figure it out. That's the bottom line. The fire was just immense. I mean, it was powerful."
The brothers, with help from other neighbors, fought the fire for over two hours. Their help kept the fire contained and from causing serious damage to the nearby properties.
In the days following the fire, residents continue to express their gratitude as their homes were mostly kept safe thanks to the brothers.
"It's like, 'Who are they? Where did these people come from?'" Kathy Battisti, a neighbor, said. "And just — as I say, it restored my faith in humanity just to know that there's absolute strangers ready to jump in and help where needed."
The fire's cause is currently under investigation.
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