MISSOULA — While snow hits most of Western Montana, a deadly wildfire is raging through Pacific Palisades, California near Los Angeles.
One Missoula man was there just days ago, visiting his family and childhood home for the holidays.
Now, he watches in horror from Montana as the massive fire has forced his loved ones to evacuate.
MTN sat down with Cole Aragon to learn how he and his family are coping with the devastation.
"I had a dream, I was in my backyard with a hose and fighting flames over the fence,” detailed Aragon.
Aragon may be a realtor in Missoula now, but he grew up in Pacific Palisades, California, on Swarthmore Avenue.
“All of our family friends that were in the Palisades had to evacuate,” Aragon shared.
His mom, who now lives in Santa Monica, opened her doors to those fleeing the fire.
Aragon told MTN, “We have a family friend over in the Alphabet Streets. Her house burned down. My mom's boyfriend, his house is gone.”
Aragon fears for the safety of his friends, family, and firefighters.
“Some buddies that I went to high school with, looked like they were grinding on top of their rooftops with sprinklers and hoses for as long as they could. But, looked like they had to evacuate and everything was gone," he said.
Aragon also worries his childhood home, in the fire zone, will be reduced to ashes.
“I got a photo last night of Swarthmore and just embers everywhere." He continued, "You can't burn memories, right? That's what it seems like all we have now.”
Seeing people put their lives on the line to save his hometown makes Aragon want to do the same whether it be financially or as a volunteer firefighter.
“It makes me want to contribute,” he stated.
While he’s presently focused on his family’s safety, Aragon says the wind that ramped up the California fires brings him a feeling of concern if a blaze were to break out near Missoula.
“That wind that we had this last summer. I mean, I would be very scared to be here with a fire on the hill with those winds," he shared.
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