DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) — The 31st annual Firefighter Demolish Derby took over Del Mar Arena at the San Diego County Fair on Sunday.
Teams from 18 different fire departments across the county came together, crashing cars for a good cause.
The derby serves as a fundraiser for the Burn Institute, a nonprofit helping burn survivors and educating people on fire prevention.
"There's definitely a competitiveness with other fire departments," said Jeff Chumbley, Chief of the Poway Fire Department.
This year, the Poway Fire Department partnered with the Poway High School automotive department.
"To be able to get down dirty, to work on a car like this that's not perfect, they have to, you know, get in tight places and things like that. It's awesome," said Joseph Cousin, the automotive instructor for Poway High School.
Cousin's son, Tovie, burned his hands on a barbecue as a 1 year old.
Tovie actually attended a camp for other kids who are burn survivors through the burn institute.
"If you feel like you're like the only person with a burn and you're feeling alone, there's a place that other people that have burns, so you kind of feel like, like you're not really alone," said Tovie.
The event raised more than $65,000 dollars for the burn institute.
Chief Chumbley said when he heard Tovie's story, he got chills.
"This is what it's all about, to see the after effect and how they can get through it," said Chief Chumbley.
The Poway Fire Department made it to the final heat of the demolition derby.
