As fast-moving fires fueled by high winds devastated parts of Los Angeles on January 7 and 8, 2025, local firefighters were overwhelmed by the scope and speed of the raging flames, per the L.A. Times.
“There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told the L.A. Times, so the California National Guard and firefighters from other areas were called in to help fight the blazes.
Isaac Ramirez, an LA-based firefighter who was among the 10 heartthrobs competing on the first season of Hallmark’s reality competition “Finding Mr. Christmas,” revealed on social media that his fire department had been asked to help fight the fast-moving blazes.
California Firefighter Isaac Ramirez Posts Urgent Message Amid L.A. Fires
On the morning of January 8, Ramirez shared a text thread in his Instagram Stories from his fire department, discussing the need for help. He wrote over the screenshot, “My department is sending out a strike team to help with the fires in LA.”
According to the LA Fire Department, a strike team is a group of five fire trucks with 21 firefighters, all reporting to one leader for an emergency mission, allowing them to “get additional firefighters & equipment to a wildfire fast.”
Later in the day on January 8, Ramirez posted an LA Times article in his Stories about the fast-spreading fires. Beneath the article, with a photo that looked like the sky was on fire, the 28-year-old wrote an urgent message to his followers.
“IF YOU WANT TO HELP,” he wrote in all caps, “LISTEN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIREFIGHTERS! STAY AWAY LET THEM DO THERE JOB. IT’S WHAT WE DO.”
Ramirez continued, “MOST IMPORTANTLY PRAY! NOT ONLY FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE BUT STRENGTH TO GET THROUGH THE HARD WORK AHEAD.”
On January 9, Ramirez posted a video update in his Instagram Stories, sharing that he had not yet been assigned to fight the LA fires but would likely be on his department’s second strike team, should one be needed.
He reiterated the need for prayers and patience, saying, “We need it. Those are long hours. Be patient with them, listen to them. Listen to the cops, listen to the firefighters, don’t be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution. This is what we do. This is what we signed up for.”
Isaac Ramirez Filmed ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’ in the Spring of 2024
Ramirez, who’s also a part-time model with 3.2 million TikTok followers, appeared on the first season of “Finding Mr. Christmas,” hosted and co-created by Jonathan Bennett, which premiered on Hallmark+ in November 2024.
“I’ve been a firefighter for nine years,” Ramirez told producers during the first episode, which identified him as living in the Van Nuys neighborhood of LA. “When they pinned the badge on me, and I worked so hard for that moment, (the fire deparment) felt like family.”
During the first episode of “Finding Mr. Christmas,” contestants competed in a runway walk wearing DIY Christmas sweaters they’d had just 30 minutes to decorate and acted in a meet-cute scene with longtime Hallmark star Erin Cahill. Ramirez was the first contestant voted off the show.
Judge Melissa Peterman told Ramirez, “Isaac, the camera loves you, but I sort of saw some nerves,” which echoed Cahill’s admission that she felt like he was “in his head” too much during their scene.
After filming the show in Utah in April, Ramirez returned to his fire station. But before the series premiered in November to rave reviews (and a season 2 renewal), he reunited with his fellow contestants for press and promotional events.
After the holidays, Ramirez posted photos of himself back in his firefighting gear on January 5, noting that it was his “first shift of the year.”
In the wake of what CNN called the most devastating fires in LA’s history, the LA Fire Department Foundation has set up a Wildfire Emergency fund to “equip our LAFD members battling wildfires with equipment and supplies” including emergency fire shelters, hydration backpacks and wildland brush tools.
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Firefighter on Hallmark’s ‘Finding Mr. Christmas’ Asks for Prayers Amid Raging Los Angeles Fires