An Eaton Canyon couple captured video that illustrates how quickly flames from the Eaton Fire spread in the minutes after it ignited on an extremely windy night in the Altadena area.
The video shows flames near an electrical tower casting a distant orange glow Jan. 7 in the Eaton Canyon area. Jeffrey and Cheryll Ku Koo said they looked in horror at the frightening scene just before the Eaton Fire spread in a Santa Ana windstorm that firefighters described as among the worst fire weather conditions they’ve seen.
The couple has lived in the fire-prone region for 20 years.
“I’ve seen the fires spread so fast, and I knew with how close that fire was to us that we would have just minutes to get out safely,” Cheryll Ku said.
The Eaton Fire started at about 6:18 p.m. near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive, according to Cal Fire.
Cheryll Ku said she was driving home from work on the 210 Freeway when she saw the eerie glow in the foothills northeast of Los Angeles. At about 6:28 p.m., the tower and power lines were entirely engulfed in smoke and flames, the Kus said.
Security camera video shows the couple racing to evacuate.
“A nightmare, a horror movie,” said Jeffrey Ku. “You never want to see something like that. That tower is very close to our house.”
At 6:41 p.m., according to the time code on the couple’s security camera video, Jeffrey Ku can be heard saying he is going to spray the home’s roof with water. The wind was so strong, he said it’s unlikely any of the water landed on the roof.
That same wind pushed hot embers into their neighborhood.
“Please god, please save our house,” Jeffrey Ku can be heard sayin the video, which captured the sound of whipping wind.
A drive through an area in Altadena that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire shows the devastation the blaze brought to the community. Annette Arreola reports for the NBC4 News at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
By 6:53 p.m., the Kus were pulling away from their house surrounded by a terrifying orange glow. As the car pulls away from the house, Jeffrey Ku can be heard saying, “Bye” in a moment of uncertainty.
The couple made it to safety with their two dogs. They returned Wednesday to find their home still standing in a community that was devastated by the Eaton Fire.
Thousands of buildings were destroyed in the 14,000-acre fire that is now 27-percent contained.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Cal Fire said.
In a statement, SoCal Edison said Sunday, “On Jan. 9, SCE filed an ESIR related to the Eaton Fire, as the incident may have met the reporting requirement, such as significant media attention and property damage exceeding $200,000. Additionally, SCE received evidence preservation notices from counsel representing insurance companies in connection with the fire. SCE conducted preliminary analysis of electrical circuit information for the four energized transmission lines in the Eaton Canyon area. That analysis shows no interruptions or operational/electrical anomalies in the 12 hours prior to the fire’s reported start time until more than one hour after the reported start time of the fire. Aside from the preservation notices suggesting SCE’s potential involvement and media attention surrounding the fire, SCE would not have filed an ESIR.”
