JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eleven years ago, Damon D’Arienzo moved from Jacksonville to California.
Now, News4JAX is sharing the story of how he helped save his girlfriend’s home, which started out like so many others: Frantically.
RELATED: MMA fighter & show host visiting Jacksonville from L.A. speaks out on wildfires
“I had a heck of a time getting into the Palisades to get out,” he explained. “Once we were loaded in the car, it was about a two-and-a-half-hour ordeal to get out of the neighborhood.”
After ensuring his girlfriend was safely evacuated, D’Arienzo was determined to see if her home had survived the flames. He hopped on a motorbike and headed back, navigating through dangerous conditions.
“When I got to her block, I saw her house was still standing,” he said. “But the home next door was on fire, and flames were on the side and back of her house.”
Faced with a dire situation, D’Arienzo sprang into action. With fire hydrants dry and flames spreading, he used whatever he could find—gravel, rocks, even a for-sale sign—to fight the fire.
“When it gets so hot, the roots start burning off all the shrubs. That’s what I was seeing,” he recalled. “I was seeing flames come up from the base of the trunk of all the shrubs, and I couldn’t understand where it was coming from.”
A firefighter’s arrival
As the fire climbed to the home’s third flor, D’Arienzo caught a break. He says a single firefighter showed up, who would end up being the catalyst for saving the home.
“He got out, he put on his fire gear, he grabbed an ax, he had one small fire extinguisher, and then he asked me, ‘How we get in?’”
The two broke into the house, battling the flames with the lone fire extinguisher until it was depleted. Soon after, other firefighters arrived but were only able to use the water they had on their truck.
“They ran for about 45 seconds, and then they took off,” D’Arienzo said. “Right before they left, I pleaded with them to come back again on their next run. They said they would. They would see what they could do. So then I just continued to put out the fires I was in the backyard.”
As D’Arienzo fought the fires, he paused for a moment and realized his arm was resting on a hot tub filled with water.
“It was kind of like finding a liquid gold at that point,” he said. “So I started using that water to put out the fires. I started hitting all of the fires around the neighbor’s home that they kept they kept erupting.”
Hours later, D’Arienzo had managed to keep the flames from consuming the house. He says he also saved a neighboring home from catching on fire.
Reflecting on resilience
Now, as families begin to return to their devastated neighborhoods, D’Arienzo reflects on how fortunate they were that the house survived.
“I think we’re very grateful, and feel very fortunate, you know, for that house to have been standing,” he said.
The area, however, remains devastated. He says few homes survived the area. Across California, at least 24 people have died, and countless homes have been destroyed.
“I mean, it’s got to be, who knows, three years, five years, you know, seven years,” D’Arienzo said. “Hopefully there’s enough support from the government on all levels, and hopefully the insurance companies are playing ball and are doing the right thing.”
D’Arienzo is a retired member of the American Red Cross Life Saving Corps in Jacksonville Beach. He believes the training he received played a key role in his efforts that day.
News4JAX’s full interview with D’Arienzo can be found below.
