PARADISE, Calif. -- A firefighter crew from Lebanon was able to salvage an important family heirloom from the Camp Fire in Northern California.

As the strike team was wrapping up their day on Wednesday, they were approached by Captain Bill Williams of the Modoc County Sheriff’s Posse.

He’s leading search and rescue efforts in the town of Paradise where his brother lives.

VIDEO: A Look at Paradise After the Camp Fire

Williams had just pulled a smoldering safe from his brother’s home and asked the team to help extinguish it.

The firefighters told Williams they could also open the safe, and used some axes and tools to pry it apart.

Inside, almost all of the contents were burned, but a small box remained intact.

Williams grabbed the box, almost burning himself in the process, and opened it up.

The firefighters said they fell quiet as Williams choked up.

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The box contained two pistols that his grandfather was given as a present in the 1930s when he retired as sheriff of Temecula, Calif.

Williams said he now has a new story to tell his family about these historic weapons.

The Lebanon firefighters said while working on a fire with a lot of death and destruction, this has been a bright spot in the mission and has helped life their spirits.