San Jose firefighters treated to dinner at Rob Lowe's house share experience
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A group of San Jose firefighters made national headlines this week after being invited to dinner at actor Rob Lowe's house. They were part of a strike team that was in Southern California for the Thomas Fire.
Mike Ferrito and Brian Landi are happy to be home with their families after battling the devastating Thomas Fire. The San Jose firefighters had quite the story to tell their wives.
"I texted her and was like, 'Hey I'm on my way to Rob Lowe's house for dinner' and she texts me back, 'Are you serious?!'" said Brian Landi, a firefighter with the San Jose Fire Department.
The flames were dangerously close to Lowe's house in Montecito. A group of San Jose firefighters protected his multi-million dollar home. They were exhausted from the firefight, but we're thrilled when Lowe invited them to his house for dinner.
"He was very welcoming when he went in. Lots of food, he started heating stuff up when we showed up and he had a fridge and said whatever you guys want to drink in the fridge," said Mike Ferrito, a fire engineer with the San Jose Fire Department.
Lowe and his wife fed the group hamburgers, spaghetti, chicken and salad.
"He said thanks, he was very appreciative of the work we're doing. He said he didn't know how we did it, obviously he was sorry for the loss of a firefighter," said Ferrito.
RELATED: Actor Rob Lowe thanks firefighters for battling Thomas Fire
It meant a lot to the strike team. They had been fighting the flames for days and were hit hard by the news that a San Diego firefighter died while working the Thomas Fire.
"It kind of affected us a lot, really made us miss our homes, miss our families," said Landi.
Now that they are back, the firefighters have been getting a lot of attention, being interviewed by national media outlets through Skype and by phone. They're humbled by it and are glad to walk away with a memory they won't forget.
