Neighbors on Christmas Tree Lane Battled California Wildfire 2 Buckets at a Time

Neighbors Jason Salit and Billy Malone sit beside buckets that read "Saving" and "Grace", as the Eaton Fire continues, in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 14, 2025. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

ALTADENA, California—As embers began raining down on Altadena last week, Jason Salit sent his wife and two college-age children away.

The 60-year-old technology consultant vowed to evacuate too if the Eaton Fire escalated. “I don’t want to die here either,” he assured his wife and their children. “I’m going to stay here and see what I can do.”