Across the country, fire departments sponsor golf and softball tournaments. But, California firefighters smash vehicles for charity.
There was a lot of crashing, smashing and metal crunching at the Alameda County Fairgrounds on Saturday.
Hayward firefighters caused the multi-car pileup, KPIX reported adding that it was no accident.
This is the first demolition derby held since the pandemic and hundreds cheered as the dust flew and decorated cars smashed into one another.
"I think it takes all kinds of luck. That's what it's all about -- luck," one driver told a reporter.
"There's a lot of golf tournaments, a lot of stickball tournaments, a lot of softball tournaments," said Hayward firefighter Nicholas Stevens. "We wanted one that stood out, that was different. That kind of captured a different audience."
Allison McKnight was there to cheer for her husband, Robert, who was driving the 13 car while representing the San Jose fire department.
"Nah, he's got this. It's gonna be great," she said. "I'm sure he can handle it. Yeah, we've got good insurance. It's all good!"
After qualification, most of the cars were already on life support but the teams worked feverishly in the pits -- one using an extrication tool a to tear away crumpled fenders -- in a mad scramble to get the cars ready for the main event, an all-out gladiator battle with the winner being the last car still moving.
Capt. Tim O'Neill with the Hayward Fire Department said it's not every day that firefighters get to actually create accidents.
When it was all over, car #16, the "Red Rocket" representing the Fremont department, was declared the winner, although it was hard to tell from the look of it.
