COLTON, Calif. – A woman eating at the same California Denny’s as a group of firefighters who had been battling a wildfire decided to pick up the $400 tab to show her appreciation for them over the weekend.
About 25 firefighters had just finished fighting a fire in the La Loma Hills area of Colton on Saturday night when the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the staff she wanted to pay for their meal and tip for a total of $405.22, the Colton Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
The woman also bought a $100 gift card to pay for desserts for a second wave of 25-30 firefighters expected later that evening, according to the San Bernardino County Sun.
“It happens all the time,” Colton Fire Department spokesman Capt. Tom DeBellis told the Sun, “more so when we’re on big fires. People just anonymously donate money to cover the bill. They want to do what they can to help. In a small community like Colton it happens quite frequently.”