Real Estate Hero: Cody Garcia's Malibu Fire Rescue Story

Eleanor Vance · 2026-01-23

It's been a year since the Franklin Fire tore through Malibu. That's a long time, but you know how it is—some memories just don't fade. The community is still healing, still rebuilding. And in that process, incredible stories have surfaced. Stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for their neighbors. One of those people is Cody Garcia, a real estate agent with The Agency Malibu. On the night the fire broke out, he fled his home in Malibu Canyon like so many others. But his night was just beginning. He ended up fighting brush fires until dawn with a couple of hoses and water from neighbors' pools. It's the kind of thing you do without thinking, you know? You just see what needs to be done and you do it. ### From Real Estate to Fire Lines Cody's story is now featured in a new Zillow docuseries called "Showing Up: Into the Fire." The first episode aired in early January. It focuses on real estate agents who go above and beyond for their communities. For Cody, that community is everything. He grew up in Malibu, and that deep love for his home is what drove him into real estate in the first place. It's not just about selling houses; it's about caring for a place and its people. ### An Unexpected Rescue Here's a twist that sounds like a movie plot. After getting out safely, Cody turned around and went back. He was trying to help friends who couldn't reach their animals. While driving through Malibu Canyon, he saw an elderly man who had fallen and needed help getting to safety. Cody helped him, of course. It was only later he realized the man was the legendary entertainer, Dick Van Dyke. Life is strange like that sometimes. ### The Heart of a Community When Cody talks about that night, he doesn't focus on his own actions. He talks about the community. He remembers how everyone came together, how neighbors supported each other through the loss and the fear. That's what stuck with him—the resilience, the collective spirit. Mauricio Umansky, Founder and CEO of The Agency, put it perfectly: > "Cody is known for being so naturally helpful, friendly, and is just a wonderful human being. He is a true 'people person' in every sense of the word, and his approach to helping others is an inspiration to me." ### A Story Shared Cody himself is pretty humble about the whole thing. He mostly kept the story to himself for a year. "By chance, I shared it with one friend who saw my car covered in ash," he says. That casual conversation is how Zillow eventually found his story. He doesn't sugarcoat how terrifying it was. "It was one of the scariest nights of my life," he admits. But then he adds something that tells you everything about his character: "I would put myself in that position again in a heartbeat to help." His gratitude is for the community itself, for "everyone who showed up when it mattered most." That's the real lesson here, isn't it? It's about showing up. It's about looking out for each other, whether you're fighting a fire or just being a good neighbor. - **The Event:** The Franklin Fire, one year ago in Malibu. - **The Hero:** Cody Garcia, a local real estate agent. - **The Action:** Returning to the fire zone to help friends and strangers. - **The Recognition:** His story is featured in Zillow's "Showing Up" docuseries. - **The Takeaway:** Community resilience and the power of helping others. Stories like Cody's remind us what matters. In the middle of chaos, it's the human connections that get us through. It's the decision to turn around and go back, to pick up a hose, or to help a stranger to their feet. That's the spirit of a place. That's what makes a community a home.