Guy Fieri Has a Habit of Feeding Firefighters in California

Record-setting wildfires have been a devastatingly perennial problem in California. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the seven largest wildfires on record — as well as 10 of the 14 most destructive — all took place between 2017 and 2020. Included on the latter list was the Glass Fire across Napa and Sonoma counties. However, when blazes strike, Californians have witnessed another, more positive annual phenomenon: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri stopping by to help out.

In 2020, the official Twitter account for CAL FIRE LNU (shorthand for the Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit) posted pics of Fieri posing alongside emergency workers in a Flavortown T-shirt and Knuckle Sandwich mask. “A MILLION THANKS to @GuyFieri and his talented team for bringing his delicious delights to #GlassFire base camp!” the tweet exclaimed. “He made a lot of people very happy & full today!”

As of October 6, 2020, CAL FIRE stated that nearly 2,800 fire personnel had been assigned to the Glass Fire alone, so, clearly, all the meals they could get their hands on were helpful. “We’re making 3,800 meatballs,” Fieri proclaimed according to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. The paper explained that, in all, Fieri’s team boxed up about 2,000 meals of penne pasta, salad and garlic bread.

Fieri — who grew up in Northern California and owns properties in both Sonoma and Napa counties — has gotten plenty of experience cooking for firefighters over the past few years. The Press Democrat said the chef was last seen on the frontlines only about a month before, serving grilled chicken, rice, and local veggies to emergency crews during the massive LNU Lightning Complex fires. But his history of providing food during wildfires goes back years — whether it was cooking barbecue for those affected by the Wine Country fires in 2017 or serving pulled pork to officers dealing with the Camp Fire in 2018. If trouble strikes and Fieri can get there, don’t be surprised to see him and his team on the scene.

And Fieri’s charitable work goes even further. For instance, to help those in the restaurant industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives star partnered with the National Restaurant Association to create the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. Basically, if you didn’t know that Fieri has a huge heart under that flame shirt (that he doesn’t even like), then you haven’t been paying attention.