Amber Willard
BURBANK -- The passing caravan of fire engines, vans, roadsters and a
Porsche drew several curious stares Friday as it worked its way through
the city.
The hodgepodge of vehicles was the annual rally of the Firefighters
Quest for Burn Survivors, which has traveled through several Central and
Southern California cities this week to collect donations. The Burbank
firefighters union donated $2,000 Friday to the more than $50,000 already
raised this week.
"Every penny we raise is for people who have suffered burns," Glendale
Fire Capt. Tom Marchant said.
That includes gift certificates used to help feed the family of Barry
Ellegaard while he was being treated at the Grossman Burn Center in
Sherman Oaks. Ellegaard, 37, was burned in December when paint fumes
ignited in the Westwood high-rise where he was working. The flash fire
and explosion caused third-degree burns to much of his body.
"It was both my arms and my legs from the knees down. I was wearing
shorts," Ellegaard said Friday morning while standing in the engine bay
at Station 11 in Burbank.
Ellegaard was enjoying riding on the fire engines, but he said he was
really looking forward to the afternoon when he would be reunited with
the firefighters who treated him the day he was injured.
Quest, a nonprofit group, was started by Glendale firefighters in 1996
after three of their brethren were burned fighting a wildfire in Malibu.
Since then, the group has helped hundreds of burn survivors, both
firefighters and civilians.
Staggered among the fire engines and vans were three cars from the
Burbank Road Kings, who joined the caravan for the first time this year.
"As word gets out, we get more and more people involved," said Burbank
Firefighter Terry Mencuri, who helped organize the rally.
For more information or to make a donation, call 548-3311.
