Air Force vet describes harrowing night when Eaton Fire overtook his home: ‘I just started running’​on January 28, 2025 at 6:38 am

ALTADENA, Calif. (KABC) — Two weeks after the deadly Eaton Fire ripped through his community, Air Force veteran Eric Greene got a first look at what’s left of his property.

“Man, thank God I got out of here,” Greene said. “Thank God.”

Greene is now homeless after his home for the last 10 years on Lake Avenue and all of his belongings were destroyed.

“I’m trying to look and see if I can recognize anything. Right now I don’t recognize nothing,” he said. “I’m a cook. My cooking appliances, my cooking utensils. I collected tennis shoes. I collected Supreme goods, anything of value. I collected Legos. Everything’s gone.”

Greene was in a deep sleep when the fire started burning outside his home.

“Smoke alarm saved my life. It really did,” he recalled. “I just put my shoes on. I grabbed my keys and my phone and I just started running, just started running.”

Greene was born and raised in Altadena. The only time he’s spent away was when he served in the U.S. Air Force. He credits the Armed Forces for the life he’s lived.

“I had this place because of the Air Force,” he said.

The veteran said the military has checked in on him since the blaze but hopes others would do the same as he copes with this tragedy.

“That’s the biggest hurt I’ve had. People don’t reach out and say, ‘Hey, are you ok?'” Greene said.

Greene set up a GoFundMe page to help him get back on his feet and start the rebuilding process.

SoCal Wildfires: How You Can Help