Firefighting father son duo connect while battling Los Angeles wildfires

A Fresno, Calif., area fire chief helping fight wildfires in Los Angeles had an unexpected moment of joy when he bumped into his son during a call.

“Really, it was just a coincidence. We were on the same dirt road in the middle of nowhere and I just took a chance and went to say hi to my son,” said Merced Fire Department Captain Brian Akers. say. he told FOX News Digital.

Akers, who has been with the Merced Fire Department for more than 22 years, followed in the footsteps of his father and great-grandfather, who were also firefighters. Now, his son Mason is starting his first year as a firefighter with the Cal Fire Tuolumne Calaveras unit, following in the footsteps of the rest of his family.

Akers has covered more than 30 major campaign fires during his 22 years on the job, and while he was able to work with his father on several of them, he has never worked with Mason so quickly. He said he did not expect to be able to do so.

Former Brewers star Ryan Braun praises firefighters battling Los Angeles wildfires as 'true heroes'

“It was something we wanted to happen in his career, but it happened much sooner than it did with my father,” Akers said. “It took about six years for me to come across the same incident as him and be able to take a photo. So it was just a cool father moment for me.”

Akers said his son is with a great crew and he trusts them to watch over him as he fights one of the biggest fires of his young career.

“I have to trust that he knows what to do. And I remind him…When I text him 'LCES,' I tell him 'I love you.' ” These are the acronyms we use here: Lookout, Communication, Evacuation Route, Safe Zone. This is my way of saying, 'Take care of yourself, keep your head on track, and stay safe,'” Akers explained. .

Brian Akers, a third-generation firefighter, shared a snapshot of his great-grandfather, the first firefighter to start a long line of Akers firefighters. (Brian Akers)

Akers said that while he is excited to see Mason follow his career path, he has never pushed him to pursue the same profession.

“I'm really proud of the work he's doing. I never encouraged him to become a firefighter. My father never forced me to become a firefighter either. “It's kind of a cliché, but I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.” said.

'Dr. Quinn' star compares Palisades fire aftermath to Hiroshima

Fire Captain Brian Akers took his first fire coverage photo with his son Mason while responding to the Los Angeles wildfires. (Brian Akers)

“And when he said he wanted to be a firefighter, that was obviously a proud moment for me. And I couldn't be happier to see him now as a firefighter.” “It's obviously bittersweet considering the circumstances in which we met,” but as a father, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to hug him, tell him I love him, take a picture, and leave. ”

When asked how the Los Angeles fires compared to active fires in the past, Akers said the 2018 Camp Fire, one of the deadliest and most destructive fires to hit California, and the damage caused I answered that they were very comparable in terms of.

Fire Capt. Brian Akers described what he saw at the Palisades Fire while responding to the Hearst Fire. (Brian Akers)

“It's very devastating. It's devastating for so many people to lose their homes, regardless of their position. But it's a lot like the campfire I had in paradise. I can only imagine pure destruction. , it's hard to see it in person, it can be overwhelming,” Akers said.

The Camp Fire is also featured in Netflix's new documentary Fire in Paradise, which survived the devastating 2018 fire that destroyed the town of Paradise and became California's deadliest wildfire. It features first-hand accounts from survivors.

Akers also discussed another deadly fire, the 2017 Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and how it compares to the Palisades, Eaton, and Hearst fires. He also explained what it was.

Chargers' Jim Harbaugh meets with first responders as wildfires continue to ravage Southern California

Fire Capt. Brian Akers said he was able to work on the Telegraph Fire with his father in 2008. (Brian Akers)

“It was a different experience. The wind was actually blowing when we were there. And I wondered why so many firefighters were here, how could we lose our homes?” I feel like I know firsthand when those winds will blow.'' [winds]There's literally nothing you can do,” Akers said. “There's just more fires than firefighters. It's just hard to keep up.”

Akers said he was impressed by the state and national support for all those affected by these fires.

“We've had an overwhelming outpouring of support from the community. The people here are amazing. They're already accepting donations at the fire station and here at base camp, and they're getting so many donations that they're turning people away. ” Akers said. “Unfortunately, they want to help, but they can only take so much. I've never seen support like this from the community. It's very impressive.”

Akers, who is assigned to Task Force 5128, said firefighters from all over the world come to the area to help and put out the fires.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“We have so many firefighters here. We see a lot of firefighters from Mexico, British Columbia, out of state, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and obviously all over California coming to help.” “And it's been a very impressive effort to bring this fire under control,” Akers said.

Akers added that they were also given Starlink equipment to access the internet while on duty, which he said was beneficial for communication during the mission, and also allowed them to contact family and friends to check in after their shift. .

“Right now, the conditions outside are looking very good. With a lot of weather and wind effects that they were expecting a few days ago, that didn't happen. I've had a chance to stand up, and I'm looking really good and getting better every day.”

His service has since ended, but Mason is still working on the Palisades fire, he said.