Altadena deacon helps save church from destruction in Eaton fire

CV NEWS FEED // Deacon José Luis Díaz of Sacred Heart Church in Altadena, California, helped save his parish from destruction during the Eaton Fire, which ravaged the area Jan. 8.

The fire, fueled by dry Santa Ana winds, forced Díaz and his family to evacuate their home in the early hours of the morning, Angelus News reported. After taking refuge at a local shelter, Díaz received alarming news that Sacred Heart Church was reportedly on fire.

Arriving at the scene around 7:30 a.m. with his son-in-law, Díaz discovered flames on the church’s roof near the boiler room. 

“There were houses next door, in front, and behind the church that were already on fire,” Díaz told Angelus.

With the help of two other parishioners, he quickly worked to put out the fire, using a garden hose, a ladder, and an iron pipe to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading.

Despite low water pressure, the group’s efforts succeeded in containing the fire, which was caused by embers from burning homes nearby. The sanctuary of Sacred Heart Church remained largely intact, suffering only heat damage to one door and likely some smoke damage.

“We have a lot of debris but no real damage,” Sacred Heart pastor Father Gilbert Guzman told Angelus. “All of the buildings are fine, the rectory is fine. We will just have quite a bit of cleanup afterwards.”

Díaz, who has served at Sacred Heart since he was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2015, now awaits recovery efforts while sheltering with his family at the Pasadena Convention Center.

Surveying the devastation in his neighborhood after the fire, Díaz likened the scene to a battlefield.

“Everything is wiped out,” said Díaz. “There are so many burned homes gone, with only the chimney left.”
Díaz told Angelus that he has found solace in praying psalms of “agony, supplication, and pleading,” as he continues to lift his community in prayer.