A longtime locksmith in the San Gabriel Valley is offering his services free of charge to evacuated residents forced to abandon their cars to escape the Eaton Fire.
Manuel Almanza’s Altadena Lock and Key opened in 1951 in an area devastated by the Eaton Fire on the night of January 7th. Fueled by Santa Ana’s strong winds, the blaze destroyed homes and businesses, some of which were part of the building. A community that has been around for decades.
“What has it been like this past week to have this fire in this community that you love? It’s been very quiet. It’s been very quiet and it’s very sad,” Almanza said.
Some residents had to flee within minutes, leaving their cars behind. Almanza thought of a way to help.
“The car just left, he left it all over the place, he doesn’t have a home, he doesn’t have the keys to get back in,” Almanza said. “You don’t have a key to get back into your car. There are a lot of cars, sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands.”
Almanza helps drivers get back into their cars free of charge.
Walter Butler is one of the car owners who found help from a kind locksmith. Butler’s home was destroyed in the 23,700-acre fire, California’s most destructive fire on record, but his Mustang was still drivable.
“He got me going again,” Butler said. “I got a car that survived. I got transportation. From having no transportation to having transportation, that means a lot.”
For Almanza, it’s all part of the job as he carves out bright prospects.
“I just want to do it,” he said. “I wish we could help hundreds of people. I wish we had 20 trucks to check on everyone there and make keys.”
Almanza said he plans to continue offering the free service in the coming weeks. Typical costs can reach up to $500.
Some evacuation orders for the Eaton Fire were lifted Thursday. The 14,100-acre fire northeast of Los Angeles is 55% contained.
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