Teamsters Local 399, the union that represents workers in the entertainment industry, came to the aid of a local fire station as the Los Angeles fires continued to burn through the city.
Station 19 in Brentwood had been without electricity and hot water for several days, according to KCAL news.
“They have been having to navigate their strategy and responding to these fires using flashlights and such, but about an hour and a half ago … Teamsters 399 showed up and made a big delivery,” KCAL’s Laurie Perez reported Sunday.
The move was spurred after a local resident posted on social media that the station was without power, and Teamsters 399 — which represents drivers, animal handlers and trainers, wranglers, location professionals, casting directors, dispatchers and others — got wind of the post. They reached out to the captain and offered up a generator, which restored power to the station within a couple of hours.
Teamsters member Alex Mestres, whose mother Tracy lost her house in the fires, spoke with KCAL about their decision to help.
“We provide trailers, power, electricity. We provide for the studios, for the entertainment, for the film industry, and I said, you know what, this is my moment to help, and I wanted to be a part of all of this,” he said. “The fire department’s been working so hard. These guys don’t need to be in the dark. They need showers. They need running water, hot water, lights, communication. … I just thought, ‘This is an opportunity to help.”
Added Teamster John Lague: “We all owe so much to the fire department for what they do. This is nothing.”
Capt. Robert Hawkins of Station 19 said he and his firefighters were grateful for the assistance.
“We got lights now. We’re able to take a hot shower and we’re just grateful,” he said, adding: “This is devastating, and it’s been hard to just go out throughout the neighborhoods to see all the destruction, but for people to come together and to do a positive thing. I wish we can do the same, and that’s why it’s our job to go out there and just work hard for the community.”
At least 24 people have died in the fires, with 16 more missing. The biggest fires are the Palisades Fire, which is near Brentwood, and the Eaton Fire. As of Sunday morning, 11 percent of the Palisades fire and 27 percent of the Eaton fire had been contained.
