OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — Weary Los Angeles firefighters received a much-needed meal on Wednesday afternoon, courtesy of an Oceanside restaurant.
Hours before dawn, the staff at Evaga Lounge was busy preparing nearly 1,500 burritos.
Co-owner Mike Frausto explained the mission's personal significance, saying, "This mission hits close to home," citing a family member who lost a home and another who nearly lost a home, in the Los Angeles wildfires.
Frausto and co-owner George Lopez also have many firefighter friends.
They were motivated to give back to the brave men and women serving on the front lines.
"These firefighters are saving homes or saving lives," Lopez said. “They don’t get to sleep for 24 hours, sometimes 36 hours. They need fuel, man, and I think this is just something that I feel like we need to do for them.”
The effort began with an Instagram appeal over the weekend, which garnered strong community support, raising nearly $5,000. at a GoFundMe campaign. Following an intensive evening of preparation, the restaurant staff worked through the night to prepare chicken and carne asada burritos. These were then packed into four vehicles and delivered to the Rose Bowl, currently serving as a command post for fire operations.
As firefighters lined up outside the stadium to receive their meals, the gratitude was palpable.
“It's amazing, man, because we truly put a lot of love into this,” Lopez reflected.
Frausto added, “And just it feels good to get back. I mean, they need our help, and we’re here.”
In a continuous effort to support local firefighters, Evaga Lounge will also donate 20% of all orders for their Firehouse Burrito on Friday towards a future meal for local firefighters.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
