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After a bad year for wildfire, the Oscars gave the Los Angeles firefighters some well-deserved recognition.

After wildfires devastated the Los Angeles area last winter, Hollywood decided to give the firefighters some love. For men and women who are professionally calm in the face of extreme danger, being around celebrities felt a bit scary.

Jada Yuan reported the story for the Washington Post. “When 12 of greater Los Angeles’s firefighters took the stage at the Oscars … they got a standing ovation so big you could hear it the lobby bar. Screams filled the Dolby Theatre, which had been evacuated in early January when one wildfire ripped through the Hollywood Hills.

“Onstage, Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Erik Scott earned his laughs, joking, ‘Our hearts go out to all of those who have lost their homes … and I’m talking about the producers of “Joker 2.” ‘ He and his fellow firefighters would take Monday off, but after that, it would be back to work — back to 5 a.m. wake-up calls, back to heartbreaking days, back to being on constant alert in a city that has barely recovered from the destruction wrought by the fires this winter. …

“Was Scott tearing up as the crowd cheered? ‘Maybe!’ he told the Washington Post … laughing sheepishly in the Dolby lobby after the bit. ‘I was not expecting for them to have that standing ovation for that long. I put my head down, and they got louder.’ … He kept emphasizing that they’re mere representatives of thousands of firefighters in the L.A. area. …

“This Hollywood awards season has been as Tinseltown-focused as ever, but for good reason. The devastating wildfires that swept through Pacific Palisades and Altadena, destroying tens of thousands of homes and businesses and killing 29, broke out two days after the Golden Globes. At first, it seemed like awards season might have to be put on hold. Every subsequent event was paused, rescheduled or reassessed as organizers tried to figure out how to honor the artistic achievements of an industry that is the lifeblood of this city without seeming indifferent to the struggles of so many.

“Inviting first responders to the awards shows and honoring their hard work and sacrifices — beginning with the Grammys and continuing through the Critics Choice and Screen Actors Guild awards, all the way through to the Oscars — has allowed the Los Angeles music and film communities to give thanks. …

“Many of the firefighters on the Oscars stage had been deployed for 28 days straight after the fires began, either actively fighting fires in the hardest-hit areas or getting information to the public. A month later, they were back out there, responding to life-threatening mudslides from heavy rains that even swept one firefighter’s car into the ocean.

“They’ve got a story to tell while the stage is theirs. Since the fires, Scott says he’s been dealing with a lingering cough and wheezing, as are others, because even a mask can’t protect you from breathing in toxic smoke for 28 days straight. … He has been put on breathing treatments, and researchers from the University of Arizona have given him and many others a full blood panel to test for heavy metals as part of a multiyear cancer study because of all the particles from vehicles with lithium batteries that were floating in the air.

“The immediate dangers are over, but the long-term ones will persist, and they are similar to those faced by first responders on and after 9/11 — something Scott is eager to explain to anyone who will listen, from the Hollywood A-list on down. … Scott said, ‘It’s part of the inherent dangers of our chosen profession.’ …

“ ‘Firefighters in general, we want to come to work, do our job, put the fire out, and we’re there to help people,’ Capt. Adam VanGerpen said. ‘We’re not looking for recognition. We don’t need praise. So we’re not used to that. It’s overwhelming for the amount of recognition that we’re getting, not just by these awards, but by just the general public coming by the fire station.’ They had so many supplies dropped off at various fire stations that they had to get flatbed trucks to spread the love around. …

“In the field, the LAFD had plenty of celebrity encounters, often with no fanfare and no cameras present. Jay Leno brought barbecue on his vintage fire truck to the Palisades base camp multiple times and would spend all night serving food. Gary Sinise did the same. Singer Steven Tyler invited the LAFD members to his Grammys after-party and then showed up at Station 69 in the Palisades and just hung out. VanGerpen’s favorite, though, was ‘J.T.’ — Justin Turner — the former Dodger who came out with his wife to serve firefighters food till 8 p.m. and then just chilled in the kitchen at the station, FaceTiming everyone’s kids. ‘He’s like a hero to these guys. That’s probably the No. 1 guy these guys want to see.’ “

More at the Washington Post via MSN, here.