Firefighters save Thanksgiving for family in Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, CA (FOX 11) - A family in Highland Park is thankful for many things after firefighters literally saved their Thanksgiving.

They thought their dinner was ruined after the kitchen caught on fire but a crew at Station 12 delivered a surprise.

Jasmin Balandran didn't cook any of the feast on her kitchen table.

"Everything pretty much was gone," she said. "There was nothing to save. We couldn't save anything."

The Thanksgiving meal she made for her family was ruined in a fire that started in the oven Thursday evening.

"It just looked like it had already taken up our whole kitchen. It looked like we weren't going to have a house to be honest."

The apartment unit didn't burn down and no one was hurt and this was what Captain Paul Ybarra stressed.

"I walked up to her and I said 'hey you know, your family is okay'," he told FOX 11's Leah Uko.

But Cpt. Ybarra could tell Balandra and her mother were still distraught.

The meal they worked hard to make was gone.

So the firefighters gave their dinner to the family.

"I don't think we did anything out of the ordinary. It's just that we saw a need and we met it."

Home surveillance showed the team return to the home in true pilgrimage fashion with hands full of food to give.

"There are really good people in this world and they showed it that there's still plenty of good people," said Balandra.

The firefighters didn't want any thanks or recognition.

But Jasmine gave them thanks anyway.

"Thankful to be alive. Thankful to be here. And we're not going to take anything for granted."

Cpt. Ybarra said for people to make sure they are keeping a watchful eye out on the stove and oven as food cooks.

He added to watch for flames and be mindful of the smell of smoke.

If a fire ignites, get out and call 911, just as the family did Thanksgiving night.