Guy Fieri serves warm meals to give thanks to crews working to contain Northern California fire

Firefighters working to contain the Lucas Fire burning near Bachelor Valley were treated to warm plates of food this week by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and his foundation.

Fieri visited the fire command base Monday, Sept. 14, to serve dinner to fire and law enforcement officials responding to the blaze that’s burned 4,128 acres in Lake County.

“These men and women have been giving their all to protect our communities, and we were honored to serve them,” the Guy Fieri Foundation said in a social media post.

The Lucas Fire was ignited by lightning the morning of Sept. 10, according to Cal Fire. Progress of the wildfire appeared to be slowing before it jumped past containment lines when winds shifted later that day. The burn rapidly grew in size along the border of Lake and Mendocino counties, forcing residents to evacuate.

After crews battled the blaze amid high temperatures over the weekend, volunteers with the Guy Fieri Foundation showed their appreciation Monday evening for those responding to what Cal Fire reported as the largest wildfire in the Sonoma-Lake-Napa area this year.

This is not the first time the Guy Fieri Foundation has supported emergency response personnel in Northern California. The nonprofit has served more than 200,000 meals during disaster responses such as the 2017 Tubbs Fire, 2018 Camp and Carr fires, 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 LNU Lightning Complex fires, according to the foundation’s website.

“Our motto is serving those who serve us,” Fieri said in a video posted by Cal Fire. “So, you guys are the unsung heroes, and you guys deserve a meal like this.”

The Guy Fieri Foundation was established in 2011, with the original goal of teaching cooks. The foundation later expanded its programs to support local communities, including first responders and disaster relief personnel.

“We are grateful for the foundation’s support and for taking the time to feed our crews working hard on containing the fire,” Cal Fire said in a social media post Wednesday evening.

Since the visit from Fieri, fire crews have continued strengthening their containment of the Lucas Fire. Cal Fire reported containment reached 75% Friday morning. Evacuation orders remained for zones MNF-E018 and UPP-E023-C in Lake County, areas within the fire’s perimeter, but all evacuation warnings have been lifted.

A Cal Fire damage inspection of 34 structures in the burn area revealed three were destroyed, none of which were homes.

You can reach Staff Writer Kyle Garcia Takata at [email protected].