FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — As wildfires in Los Angeles continue to burn, some of those firefighters commute cross country from Middle Tennessee.
I connected with one of those LA city fire captains who said support is what they need now.
“Thirty-three years of experience, you think you’ve just seen it all. And when you look at this, you must think you haven’t seen anything. That’s the devastation that we witnessed,” said Mike Johnson
Twice a month, Mike Johnson commutes to Los Angeles to work as an LA City fire captain.
But for this stretch when fires quickly burned across the Palisades, he was gone much longer.
“He called, and he said we got assigned to the fire,” said his wife Kelly Johnson.
For 20 days, Mike fought alongside firefighters whose homes were burning.
While Kelly managed their household, he saw the pain, loss and destruction up close.
“That’s probably the hardest part of seeing grieving people, seeing the devastation and wondering what the future is. It is tough,” said Mike.
What's needed now, he says is support.
“We’ve had people make us meals. We’ve had donations and support and fundraisers things like that,” said Mike. “Unfortunately, it takes the worst of times to bring the best of humanity out.”
Considering the fires' vast destruction, Mike knows the area will need help long after the fires are extinguished.
But there's a kind of support that can only come from some place.
“Thank you for being the strong supportive wife that you are,” said Kelly.
She was reading from a note Mike sent her with flowers while he was gone.
“I don’t think I could love her any more than I do,” said Mike. “What makes it worth it is being out here in Tennessee.”
There are many resources Mike says can help support LA city firefighters and their families including the LA City Fire Widows and Orphans fund and SupportLAFD.
