Man saves golf carts at Altadena course during Eaton Fire
"Sadly, when I got here, the entire clubhouse was burned down, and the cart barn was half burned down and on fire," Boyd said.
He's had countless tee times at the 115-year-old community staple before the Eaton Fire tore through. Years of his life spent on the greens with friends and loved ones all flashed before his eyes.
"One of the first places I played with my dad and his best friend, where I learned the rules of golf," he said. "I was standing right back there in the parking lot, just watching it all engulfed in flames. It's not a massive country club that's gonna host a PGA tournament, it's just a great place for people to play before work, after work, or just with their kids."
With the cherished memories pacing through his mind, Boyd risked his own safety and rushed to push as many golf carts as he could out of harm's way as blocks of nearby homes caught on fire.
"There was a lot of smoke at the same time," Boyd said. "It was almost getting suppressed by this water main that was broken and just spilling all over the place and all over the carts."
In hindsight, Boyd said he was hoping to save anything from his beloved course as the flames closed in.
"Adrenaline kicked in, and I was like, what can I do? I don't have anything but a hose that's at the golf course and a bucket," he recalled. "I can push these golf carts out so that's all I could really do."
Boyd's selfless action shocked and delighted general manager Johnny Eusebio.
"It wasn't something that he did for likes or views," Eusebio said. "It just shows how much support that he has for our place."
Two months after the deadly wildfire, Boyd is continuing his work to help survivors with the help of Pasadena's nonprofit Door of Hope. Next Monday, he's hosting a golf tournament at Moorpark Country Club to raise money for people who lost their homes. Housing advocate Carmela France said the program will support 50 families with direct support, financial aid and housing. They have already received more than 250 applications.
"Just hope that people can rebuild the way they want to and hopefully as a community because I know entire blocks were leveled, so I'm hoping you know they can all build together and hopefully build it the same," Boyd said.
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Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Associated Press
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Yahoo
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