Local Voices
Palisades Fire Survivor Reunites With LA County Firefighter Who Saved Her As Flames Closed In
It was there that Dicks found her and her dog, Koda, before transporting the two to safety. "I thought I was gonna die," Phillips said then.
January 8, 2026
Patty Phillips was racing to evacuate from her Malibu home last January when her car got stuck on a boulder, immobilizing her as flames closed in. One year later, she's reuniting again with the Los Angeles County firefighter who put his own life on the line to save her and her dog.
Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Captain Malcolm Dicks and Phillips' husband sprang into action on Jan. 7, driving into the midst of the firestorm to find her trapped on a dirt road near Big Rock Drive.
"I thought I was gonna die," Phillips said at the time.
Find out what's happening in Pacific Palisadesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Patty Phillips' car stuck on the boulder that prevented her from fleeing as the flames from the Palisades Fire closed in/CBS LA
Patty Phillips (left) with CBS LA Reporter Michele Gile (second from left), Los Angeles County Fire Captain Malcom Dicks (second from right) and her husband James at the spot where she was saved on Jan. 7, 2025/CBS LA
The boulder that Patty Phillips says saved her life on Jan. 7, 2025, now sitting outside of her home with a plaque to commemorate what she calls a miracle/CBS LA
Click here for the full story via CBS Los Angeles Metro
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