Friday, 17 July 2026, 7:01
William Pratt, a longtime Pacific Palisades dentist and father of former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, took heroic action Friday afternoon when he spotted a house fire near Palisades High School. Using only a garden hose, he tried to contain the flames before Los Angeles Fire Department crews arrived, an effort that brought back painful memories of the catastrophic 2025 Palisades Fire that destroyed his own home.
Around 4 p.m. on July 13, 2026, William Pratt was driving to his property on Northfield Street when he saw a two-story home under construction engulfed in flames. He immediately stopped, called 911, and searched for a hose to battle the blaze. “I’m sad I had to spend two to three minutes looking for the hose bib to the house and another two to three minutes getting the hose untangled and hooked up,” he told NBC Los Angeles. “Each second was like a lifetime.”
Firefighters arrived roughly six minutes after the emergency call and launched an aggressive attack, bringing the fire under control within 20 minutes. Around 34 LAFD personnel responded. A nearby resident also used a hose to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring homes. No injuries were reported, and investigators are working to determine the cause. Pratt said the incident brought back painful memories of the catastrophic Palisades Fire that destroyed his family home in January 2025. “It gave me a little PTSD,” he said. “I did my best to put it out. It just grew way too fast.”
The fire occurred in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, just blocks from Palisades High School. The property sustained only minor damage during the 2025 Palisades Fire, though a detached garage was destroyed. The owner, Natasha Mandich, expressed gratitude to firefighters and community members who helped stop the blaze.
The Pratts lost their family home in the January 2025 Palisades Fire, one of California's deadliest and most destructive wildfires, which scorched roughly 23,400 acres, killed 12 people, and destroyed over 6,800 structures. William Pratt suffered smoke inhalation and was hospitalized while trying to save his own home with a garden hose. Spencer Pratt, known for MTV's The Hills, later ran an unsuccessful Republican campaign for Los Angeles mayor, centering on wildfire response and criticizing city officials. He lost in the primary election in early June 2026. Following the disaster, William Pratt, Spencer Pratt and Spencer’s mother, Janet Pratt, filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, alleging mismanagement and inadequate water pressure contributed to the destruction caused by the fire.
This incident highlights the ongoing wildfire risks in Southern California and the trauma faced by survivors. While William Pratt's quick actions likely prevented greater damage, the episode underscores the need for improved fire preparedness and response in wildfire-prone areas. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
