Matthew Knetge began working in the collision industry as a teenager. His family members owned a body shop in Pasadena, CA, where he helped during the summers.
“I ran the gamut through the shop, from sweeping floors to detailing to paint prep,” Knetge recalled. He began working as an estimator when he was 28. Over the years, he has held various roles in the industry, including collision center manager at Caliber Collision, and has been active in the California Autobody Association (CAA). Knetge joined Seidner’s Collision Centers, owned by Rick and Todd Seidner in Southern California, three years ago as an estimator.
“What I enjoy the most about the industry is fixing people's cars, getting them back on track and helping them with their situations,” said Knetge.
Knetge recently shared his experience with Autobody News about the California fire that impacted him and his family. On Jan. 8, Knetge lost his house and belongings in the Eaton fire in Altadena, CA. His 32-year-old son was temporarily staying in the house with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter.
“They are all safe, thank God, but left with nothing,” said Knetge’s niece, Dana Allen.
The home had been in the family for more than 65 years.
“There were many memories, love, laughter and tears throughout the years,” said Allen. “My uncle loved this house, as did our family. I know all the material things can be replaced, but it is still hard to fathom.”
Matthew Knetge with his Harley-Davidson.
She set up a GoFundMe page for her uncle Matt, aka Mr. Mole, to help ease the stress and burden.
“If you know my Uncle Matt, you know he’s always helping other people -- family, friends, neighbors and people in the community,” said Allen. “He volunteers his time to coach kids in sports, even when his kids are grown. He is always ready to lend a helping hand when needed, whether he knows you or not.”
The following is an account from Knetge about his experience.
“Initially, the winds were super heavy, blowing harder than I've ever seen them blow here in Altadena, where we live. We saw the fires start but it was a fair distance away. I've seen the local mountains burn many times here in Southern California over the last 50 years. They've probably burned 10 times. Every few years or so, they'll catch on fire and all the shrubbery will burn up. I never thought it would come down into the city.
“My neighbors and I were outside talking about whether we were going to evacuate or not. I decided to stay. My initial idea was that I’d go to sleep, and when I woke up, I would check out the situation and see if I needed to water down the house. Then, I would go to work and come home. About four in the morning, my son knocked on my bedroom door and said, ‘Hey, Dad, we got to go.’ I asked him if the house was on fire, and he said no.
“When I opened my bedroom door, my house was full of smoke. I walked outside and I was looking into a huge black cloud of smoke. There were embers and pieces of trees on fire flying around -- not even falling, just blowing across my street.
Searching through the rubble after the fire.
“At about 4:30 a.m., the sheriff's department was driving down the street and saying the fire was coming and there was a mandatory evacuation. I had told my family to pack up a few things in case we needed to evacuate. They grabbed a couple of things, got in their car and left.
“I grabbed a backpack with a couple of pairs of pants and a couple of shirts and my two dogs, a 3-year-old corgi, Millie, and a 5-year-old golden retriever, Bella, got in the car and left. You could see the houses maybe three or four blocks away already on fire.
“It was pretty scary.
“I went to my fiancé’s house in Baldwin Park. My son and his family went to my sister's house in Fullerton.
"I still thought that the houses wouldn’t burn and there was no way it was coming down here. I went back the next morning to grab a couple more things and it was an inferno. Houses were burning all over the place. My house hadn't caught fire yet, but both my neighbors’ homes were engulfed in flames. I remember driving down my street seeing the pitch-black smoke and the firefighters standing there. They were doing their best with whatever they had but they had looks on their faces like they just couldn't do anything. The wind was howling and embers and pieces of burning houses were flying everywhere. It was crazy.
“With my neighbors’ houses already on fire. I thought, ‘I’m not going to even go in. I'm just going to leave.’ I turned around and left and went back to my fiancée’s house.
A keepsake that remained after the fire.
“My son works in the pest control industry and his work truck was at the house, so we went back to get it. He took a picture of my house on fire.
“My family has had that house for 67 years. My parents bought it in the late 1950s and four generations have been raised there -- my brothers and sisters and I, my children, and now their children.
“I took off work for two days and when I came back, my direct supervisor, Jeff Long, the regional manager, told me about the assistance offered by the Collision Industry Foundation (CIF).
“I contacted CIF and they were really, really nice. I told them about my situation and they said, ‘We’re here to help. If there is anything we can do, please ask.’ They sent me a little bit of money which was super helpful.
“The industry support really means a lot. The collision repair industry isn't an easy industry. It can be very stressful and some of our margins are very slim. After doing this type of work for so many years, it's nice to see that there are people who care and there is support for the industry by the industry.
“I'm very happy with how my insurance company, Safeco, a division of Liberty Mutual, has handled the claim. It has been a different experience than what I expected… much better.
“You always expect the worst from the horror stories you hear from other people, but it has been a pretty good experience for me individually.
“There's another person at the shop who was also affected by the fires and we received a couple of complimentary paid days from Seidner’s Collision Centers to do what we initially had to do. That was nice. The company replaced our work shirts and gave us additional things like jackets, which was also appreciated.
‘Initially, there was an outpouring of help and people donating things. Although there are still a lot of resources to get help, it’s starting to cool off a little and it’s more streamlined.
“It's just a huge mess. It's really, really horrible.
“Even though I have coverage and it is pretty good, my policy limits aren't covering every single thing. There are deductibles and other costs and finding housing. You need thousands and thousands of dollars.
“It's a very localized situation in the realm of things, but any support that companies or individuals can give to anybody they know in this situation is important. You might not think that just a little bit makes a difference, but it does. Even 20 bucks can get you a burger and fries or something when you don't have a kitchen to cook in.”
To donate to Matt Knetge’s GoFundMe, click here.
To donate to CIF California Fires Fund, click here.
Stacey Phillips Ronak