With firefighters stretched thin, Altadena residents battle to save homes from flames [Video]

As the winds whipped out of the north, and embers began to rain down, almost everyone had left J.C. Matsuura’s neighborhood in Altadena.

But Matsuura had no intention of following the evacuation order issued as the Eaton fire rapidly spread Tuesday night, engulfing homes and businesses that stood in its path. Even after Matsuura’s wife left, taking the family dogs, the 65-year-old stood his ground.

Armed only with a garden hose and determination, Matsuura kept the embers and flames away from his home of 20 years. It was not until a ghastly dawn that a fire crew from the U.S. Forest Service arrived. By then, homes on two sides of Matsuura’s had caught fire.

With firefighters stretched thin, with three major fires burning in L.A. County as of Wednesday afternoon, residents such as Matsuura decided to stay and wage a battle to save their homes.

“We’re doing the very best …