Jay Leno Provides Meals to Los Angeles Firefighters Amid Severe Wildfires: Watch
As firefighters battle the severe wildfires affecting Los Angeles, Jay Leno is stepping up to assist.
On Monday, the former late-night television host visited the Pacific Palisades area, where he served meals to firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department. His visit followed a stop at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Sunday, which he mentioned in an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
In videos from his Pacific Palisades visit, Leno can be seen dishing out hot BBQ meals to a line of dedicated firefighters.
LAFD fire captain and public information officer Erik Scott expressed gratitude for Leno’s generosity in a post on X: “We appreciate his kindness (and) the community’s support during this tough time.”
Since September 7, numerous blazes have ignited across Los Angeles, destroying neighborhoods and leaving a path of devastation. Fires in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Sylmar, and Ventura areas were still active as of Tuesday, with Southern California facing “critical fire weather” through Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner reported that at least 24 lives have been lost due to the two largest blazes, the Eaton and Palisades fires. Specifically, the Palisades Fire accounted for at least eight fatalities, while the Eaton Fire claimed 16 lives.
Driving a 1941 American LaFrance fire truck, Leno shared his thoughts on the destructive wildfires during his conversation with Cooper on Monday.
“It’s like an entire city wiped off the map,” Leno stated. “Pacific Palisades is essentially gone and probably won’t be rebuilt for the next five or six years.”
Despite the destruction, Leno noted that he found hope in the “sense of community” evident in the city’s relief efforts, saying, “We will overcome this; we always do.”
Leno is not the only celebrity to offer assistance during this crisis. Amid the chaos and destruction caused by the wildfires, many in the entertainment industry are contributing to relief initiatives.
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis and pop star Beyoncé have both promised million-dollar donations, while fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel has established a donation center on his show’s backlot to gather and promptly distribute essential supplies to those affected.