SHERMAN OAKS : Firefighters Touched by Offers of Blood

Two firefighters hurt battling a brush fire were “overwhelmed” by the hundreds of people who offered to donate blood for their recovery, a fire captain said Wednesday.

“They were just overwhelmed by all the attention,” said Capt. Steve Valenzuela. “Their spirits are really up.”

More than 80 people, most of them firefighters, donated blood to Christopher Barth, 25, and Hector (Gabe) Larios, 19, who were burned in a fire last week near Altadena that killed two other firefighters. Hospital officials said the donations resulted in surplus for the two men. Barth was in serious and Larios in critical condition in the burn ward of the Sherman Oaks Hospital and Health Center. Skin grafting operations were performed on both men Tuesday and both have been receiving daily hyperbaric chamber and whirlpool treatments, Valenzuela said.

Valenzuela said firefighters responded to the call for blood donations much in the way they would to a large fire requiring “mutual aide” from various departments. “The firefighters haven’t held back at all,” He said. “They’re coming from all over.”

Besides donating blood, Valenzuela said county firefighters have kept a 24-hour vigil on phone banks set up to receive blood donations. Firefighters have also provided assistance to the families of the men hurt and killed in the fire. County fire suppression aides Christopher Herman, 25, of Downey and Arthur Ruezga, 33, of Valinda were killed battling the 100-acre brush fire.