Chad Comey carried his mother, who is blind and paralyzed, down five flights of stairs to escape the Palisades fire. His dad, who is blind, stayed behind.
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Chad Comey watched through binoculars as the Pacific Palisades fire crossed the ridgeline behind the condominium he shared with his disabled parents.
He’d been debating for hours whether it was safer to stay or go, and as the fire roared closer he decided: They had to get out.
The 31-year-old musician carried his mother down five flights of stairs, with help from a neighbor. His mom, 69, is visually impaired and paralyzed from a rare disorder.
His dad is 75 and blind, and also stubborn: He refused to leave.
Chad Comey watched on January 7 as the Palisades wildfire drew ever closer to the home he shared with his disabled parents. Courtesy Chad ComeyHis dad argued that the falling concrete in the building and the thick smoke outside made it safer to stay. Comey loaded the family cat and three of his 17 guitars into the car and begged his father one last time to leave.
His father told him not to worry: In two days, they’d be watching the Notre Dame game together.