A mom is calling out the generosity of a firefighter who took time to give her a helping hand amid the tireless work of combating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Briana Cap, a mom of two, posted on X about her encounter with a firefighter in a Target parking lot, after she and her family returned home after evacuating. The lengthy thread, first shared on Jan. 13, has since gone viral with over 8.2 million views.
In her thread, Cap recounted how a firefighter noticed her struggling to balance her 2-year-old and a full shopping cart and stopped to help her unload her purchases into her car and return the cart, all while offering her toddler a playful fist bump.
"These folks are servants in the best sense of the word. They are a beacon of humanity and light in what has been a truly dark time for our city. They are heroes," Cap wrote of the firefighter and his fellow first responders after the unexpected and helpful gesture.
Cap told "Good Morning America" she initially had refused the firefighter's assistance but he eventually stepped in to help.
"He said, 'I'm going to come help you.' So he came over, and he wheeled the cart around to the back of the car and then proceeded to unload the bags for me," Cap recounted. "I'm talking family [size] toilet paper, Goldfish [snacks], water, all that stuff. He was just so kind about it."
Cap, a mom of a 4-year-old and 2-year-old, said she was so moved by the firefighter's touching actions that she wanted to spread the word about their positive interaction.
"This was just such a lovely thing that this human being did for me when he didn't have to," Cap said. "I just couldn't believe the love and kindness that he showed to me in that moment, and I was just so appreciative and I just wanted to put that out into the world and just share some positivity with everyone because I know after this week, we could all probably use it."
"It feels good just to have put a little light in people's face," Cap added.
The moving story eventually reached the Redondo Beach fire chief, who replied to one of Cap's posts and later invited her and her family to visit the fire station after the wildfire emergencies settle down.
"He reached out to me to say thank you for the tweet and that he shared it with his team," Cap said. "I'm just so glad that they got to to see it and share with everyone what an impact that they've made on our community."
Cal Fire also replied to Cap's viral thread, adding, "California firefighters take immense pride in serving their communities. That quick fist bump and a warm smile? Likely the highlight of their day -- or even their week. 👊😊#Gratitude #CALFIRE @FireBeach."
Thousands of firefighters continue to battle the wildfires across 45 square miles of Los Angeles County, which have been fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds. Since last week, at least 25 people have died as a result of multiple fires, and approximately 82,000 remain under mandatory evacuation orders, with about 90,000 under evacuation warnings.
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