By Katherine Tinsley
8:59am PST, Jan 24, 2025
Bryan Akers fought off the Los Angeles, Calif., wildfires alongside his son, Mason, who is following in his family's footsteps, as his father, a fire captain in Merced, Calif., is a second-generation firefighter.
The natural disaster on the West Coast caused billions of dollars in damage, and the City of Angels continues to depend on the Los Angeles Fire Department and volunteers to help salvage communities.
The natural disaster on the West Coast caused billions of dollars in damage, and the City of Angels continues to depend on the Los Angeles Fire Department and volunteers to help salvage communities.
Mason had just begun his first year as a member of the Cal Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit when he got the opportunity to collaborate with his father.
"It was just a happenstance, really," Bryan told Fox News Digitial. "We were on the same dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, and I just kind of took the opportunity to go say hi to my boy."
The father-son duo hoped their careers would allow them to spend time together.
"It was something that we've been hoping would happen over the course of his career," Bryan shared.
"But it happened a lot sooner than it did for me with my father," he added. "It took about six years before I was on the same incident as him and was able to snag a photo. So it was just a cool dad moment for me."
While on the frontlines, Bryan made sure to motivate his child and remind him to take safety precautions while protecting residents.
"I just have to have faith that he knows what to do. And I remind him … it's my way of saying, 'I love you,' is when I text him 'LCES.' It's an acronym that we use out here: lookouts, communications, escape routes, safety zones. It's just kind of my way of saying, 'Take care of yourself, keep your head on a swivel, and just stay safe,'" Bryan explained.
Despite the Akers' history of service, Bryan admitted there was no pressure for Mason to carry on the tradition.
"I'm just really proud of the work he's doing. I never pushed him to be a firefighter," he revealed. "My father never pushed me to be a firefighter. It's just something that kind of called to us, if you will. And it sounds kind of cliché, but I could not imagine myself doing anything else."