Army Vet Explains How He Saved His House In The Pacific Palisades Fire With Simple Lawn Sprinklers

When wildfires swept through the Pacific Palisades, reducing homes to ash and devastating entire neighborhoods, one U.S. Army veteran’s quick thinking and preparedness made all the difference.

In an interview with NBC Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades resident Jim Cragg explains how putting simple lawn sprinklers on his roof and the grass turned out to be the key to saving his home—and his neighbors’ homes, too.

Against the odds, his house remained standing while others in the area were lost in the devastating Palisades fire. This first was the first of the string of deadly Los Angeles wildfires started during a Santa Ana windstorm on Tuesday January 7, 2025. As of this writing, authorities say this fire was responsible for 5 deaths. It’s scorched 23,713 acres, destroyed at least 604 structures, displaced thousands of residents, and remains only 11% contained. Many lost it all in the devastating blaze. Firefighters and responding agencies are still working to fully contain the wildfire, which still threatens over 12,000 structures. A big part of that battle has happened via air support.