Holy Fire: 'We're Doing Our Best To Stop This Thing'

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — It's day five of the Holy Fire, and the southern California blaze has grown to over 18,000 acres. That's just a number for some, but to Dana Groff, a mother of one of the firefighters on Saddleback Mountain, it's much more than that. Her son, Kyle, is a firefighter, deployed from Los Angeles County Fire. He is somewhere on a mountainside that has looked like a volcano most nights this week.

Saddleback mountain pumps thick black smoke in the day and eerily glows at night from south Orange County, where she lives.

"It's a dangerous job, but he is well-trained, and we are so proud of him," she said. "I also know he is doing a dangerous job."

Kyle always wanted to be a firefighter, from the time he was a little boy, Dana told Patch. He began his quest at the Newport Beach Fire Department through their explorers program.

A couple of captains stepped forward to mentor Kyle and "steered him in the right direction," she said.

Unlike many firefighters, the Groff's don't have a firefighting legacy in the family. Kyle is the first. He wouldn't be discouraged from his quest, though "many people tried to discourage him," said his mother. "Thousands apply for one job, and they would warn him away from trying."

Kyle Groff was recently hired by Los Angeles County, where he is a probationary firefighter at the Hacienda Heights station. As a probationary firefighter he comes home exhausted, but it's a "good tired" and he's "living the dream," she told us.

Having Kyle on a strike team is different than regular firehouse work. It's less contact, and more worry, Groff said. She takes what she can get...a text here, a call there. He has told her about the the smoke and the conditions. He sweat through all of his socks from his "out of county bag."

One night, he slept on the dirt by the engine. Another, he slept on the grass in someone's backyard.

"It's hard for me to picture that," she told us. But her pride shows through her words, especially when she shared his text.

"We're doing our best to stop this thing," he told her.

By Friday afternoon, Dana could barely watch the news. She empathizes to the point of distraction for the people who have lost homes, knowing her son is in harm's way, battling the blaze to saving the homes and property of others. This week, her tension is frayed to the point of breaking, but for Kyle, she'll be strong.

In South Orange County on Wednesday, the smoke off the mountain remained thick. Dana's thoughts drifted to her son. She woke before 5 a.m., and glanced to the east. Kyle was somewhere on the other side of Saddleback Mountain, but all she saw from her window is that bright orange of crackling light.

There is nothing for a mother to do but pray for him and for his fellow firefighters. But maybe, just maybe there was something else. Dana Groff put out a call to her friends to send socks for the firefighters. Comfortable, moisture-wicking socks. And socks she has received.

"This is all me, Kyle has no idea I even asked," she said. "I thought, maybe I'd ask folks and maybe get a few donations. Who wants to work in gross, wet socks?"

Groff has received over 200 pairs of socks, most recently, a large donation came in from a local surfboard company. "People just want to help," she said. "They're thanking me for doing something." According to Orange County Fire Authority Captain Steve Concialdi, during fire events it is common for folks to want to give back to the firefighters.

"The guys appreciate it that people are donating to local fire stations and at headquarters," he told us. Even though crews provide for working firefighters' every need, from laundry for extended incidents to food, drinks and sundries, the residents always want to pitch in and show support.

For Dana Groff, gathering these socks is like therapy. Knowing she is doing something for firefighters working in horrible conditions is helping her through the minefield of a mother's worry.

"When we're protecting neighborhoods, and after a fire blows through, if you see a local firefighter, bring him water, gatorade, warm pizza," Concialdi said.

More than donating physical things, it is the appreciation of the people they serve that matters most, he told us.

When you see a firefighter while you're stopped at a red light, in a grocery store or just going about your day, be sure and give a wave or a smile, and even a "thank you." For Concialdi, that's what matters most.

"The firefighters feel appreciated, loved and cared for," when the people they serve say thank you," he said. "From the bottom of our heart we thank the communities for supporting the guys on the line."

Photos, courtesy Dana Groff, Kyle Groff with permission