Aside from his decades-long comedy career, Jay Leno is also known for his extensive car collection and deep knowledge of vehicles from around the world. After the Los Angeles wildfires, the comedian sprang into action with his own special vehicle: A 1941 American LaFrance firetruck.
Leno spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper about his disaster relief work in the face of the ongoing Palisades and Eaton Fires in the L.A. area. “We’re cooking for the crew,” he said, adding that he wanted to deliver hot food to personnel instead of boxed meals. “I drove a 1941 American LaFrance firetruck,” he said, quipping, “It’s good to have your own fire truck when you live in L.A.”
“We’ve got it loaded up and we cooked yesterday in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl for the crew there, we’re here today, and we’ll be at some of the other locations in the next two or three days,” he explained.
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“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “You get on that hill and you look for miles and there’s nothing; it looks like Hiroshima.”
What heartened Leno was “the sense of community—neighbors meeting neighbors they’ve never met before, people all pitching in.” “I mean, I try to look at the bright side of things,” he admitted. He later recounted to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo—while sitting in front of his 1941 fire engine—that he cooked up $21,000 of ribs, chicken, and other food just in one night.
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Erik Scott, a fire captain and public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, thanked Leno on X for his involvement. “Actor Jay Leno stopped by to serve meals to firefighters coming off the line. We’re grateful for his kindness and the support from our community during this challenging time,” he wrote.
Amid the #PalisadesFire, actor @jayleno stopped by to serve meals to #firefighters coming off the line. We’re grateful for his kindness & the support from our community during this challenging time. #LAFD #CommunitySupport pic.twitter.com/A5BQUgseN5
— Erik Scott (@PIOErikScott) January 14, 2025
Leno’s L.A. home and six-car garage lies in Bel Air, adjacent to the Palisades Fire; his car collection in Southern California, including his vintage firetruck, appears to be safe, with the majority of his vehicles stored in empty aircraft hangars at Hollywood Burbank Airport. Meanwhile, he continues to maintain another estate in Newport, Rhode Island that he bought for $13.5 million in 2017.
