> At a Glance
> – Fire crews saved photo albums and a grandfather clock from the Biren home on Jan. 7, 2025
> – The keepsakes survived even though the house on Lachman Lane burned to the ground
> – The family has since restored the clock and plans to display a photo of the rescue beside it
> – Why it matters: The gesture gave the displaced family tangible hope amid total loss
A split-second decision by Los Angeles firefighters turned a routine evacuation into a lasting act of kindness for one Pacific Palisades family. While flames from the Palisades Fire bore down on Lachman Lane, Station 37’s crew darted into the Biren home and emerged with the few objects that couldn’t be replaced.
The Rescue
Matt Biren and his wife had fled three hours earlier when evacuation orders hit. Listening to News Of Los Angeles on the car radio, Matt heard the on-air report: a fireman carrying his grandfather clock out of the house. “I just instinctively knew,” he told Amanda S. Bennett, recalling the moment he realized which home was on screen.
Inside, crews swept the living room, dining room, and den:
- Grabbed heavy photo albums stacked on shelves
- Lifted the antique grandfather clock
- Dodged falling embers that later singed photos and scorched the clock’s wood
Life After the Flames
The Birens, now renting in Calabasas, sent the damaged clock to a restorer who stabilized its charred casing and replaced the inner mechanism. The family also printed a still frame from Amanda S. Bennett‘s video showing two firefighters in turnout gear hauling the heirloom through the smoke.
Matt Biren said:
> “We’re going to put a picture of the firemen carrying it out right next to it.”
His son Adam Biren added:
> “We weren’t the digital generation… knowing our photos were being saved gave us hope.”
| Keepsake | Condition After Fire | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Albums | Edges singed | Intact, stored |
| Grandfather Clock | Scorched, mechanism warped | Fully restored |
Key Takeaways
- Station 37 crews risked extra minutes inside a burning home to preserve irreplaceable memories
- The rescued items became emotional anchors for a family starting over from zero
- A simple photo of the rescue will now share space with the heirloom it depicts
One year after losing everything, the Birens say every tick of the restored clock reminds them of the day strangers in heavy gear gave their past a future.
