Schwarzenegger hails firefighters as heroes

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger served hot cereal to firefighters early this morning and told each that he was thankful for their work.

"I hope it really makes you strong," he said to one fireman.

"Thank you for your work," he told another.

He thanked all of them at a news conference, calling them heroes who put on hot and heavy suits each morning to "go out and climb steep terrain."

"This is why I say they're true heroes," he said, "that is why I'm proud of them."

He said authorities were figuring out how best to help those who lost their homes. Despite budget cuts, he said, there were plenty of funds available to fight the blaze.

"We always have the money available to fight the fires because public safety is the No. 1 priority," he said.

The governor was joined by several officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca.

"We're very, very fortunate," Villaraigosa said. "Had this been the fall with the Santa Ana winds, the fire could have been much larger."

Baca said about 4,300 homes in Los Angeles County, excluding in the city of Los Angeles, had been evacuated, but everyone was being allowed return except for residents of fewer than 50 homes along Soledad Canyon Road, between Highway 14 and Bootlegger Canyon Road. 

Schwarzenegger encouraged those interested in helping fire victims to visit CaliforniaVolunteers.org for volunteer and donation ideas.

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz at Hansen Dam

Comments

[Rob]

Hot cereal? Really? Aren't they hot enough already? Could no one find some granola and cold milk for them?

[tina]

Rob: agreed.

[Karl Brustwarz]

Do not make da fun out of da supaheroez. Otherelsewise Terminator will come back of da camera

[Henry]

Heroes? Although I respect the work the fire fighters are doing, and wish them the best in fighting these fires, why is it that we have to refer to them as heroes when they are just doing their job? I honestly don't get it? Why don't we refer to a grocery clerk as a hero? Or a bus driver? I mean they all are doing their jobs, right?

[Meg]

A grocery clerk does not need to risk his own life when performing his job.
By choosing firefighting as a career, one certainly has some heroic quality.

[davey]

Why do "we" have to call them heroes? "We" dont have to. "We choose to. You can refer to them how ever you like. Get a life and find something more important to worry about.

[Emma]

Do grocery clerks and bus drivers save lives and homes?

[Derek]

Holly Molly, one individual makes a comment about fire fighters being considered as heroes, and you all jump all over him. He actually kinda has a point.
Personally I think the real heroes are not the fire fighters, but the volunteers taking in all the displaced animals, feeding the fire fighters, and those providing shelter to displaced indivuduals who are acting kindly with their hearts. The fire fighters are only doing the jobs they are paid for. Which is to fight fires.
I don't feel they are going beyond the call of duty to the point where they should be considered heroes.

[kiki]

how stupid ... you're actually complaining because someone gave credit to men who risk their lives to put fires out? are u jealous that u dont have the balls to put a heavy hot suit on to go face a fire that puts u in danger of losing ur life? when a grocery store manager puts himself in that kind of danger then i will consider him my hero but i seriously DOUBT hes in danger unless u consider all those pesky life endangering situations when someone needs a rain check ... have you ever been burned in a fire? i have i was burned in a house fire 35% of my body ... and it was NOT my choice to run into the flames ...but Firemen do that daily to save people ...so when u say theyre not heroes ... go back to ur house and be grateful its NOT on fire!