NASCAR driver reacts to his father’s heroic effort caught on TV to control the LA wildfire

NASCAR driver Garrett Smithley reacted on X (formerly Twitter) to his father, RK Smithley, successfully deploying care packages to the victims of the Los Angeles wildfire. In the tweet, he praised his father's efforts.

Garrett Smithley, born on April 27, 1992, in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, drives in the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time, operating the #14 Chevrolet Camaro for SS-Green Light Racing. Smithley first broke onto the scene in 2016, driving for the resource-challenged mid-tier team JD Motorsports.

At the 2016 Daytona Xfinity Series, Smithley had a brilliant performance, securing eighth place. This earned him the reputation of being a reliable and consistent driver.

RK Smithley has been the DC10 captain for almost 10 years, operating DC10 fire bombers for various government contractors like the US Forestry Service, Cal Fire and Bureau of Land Management.

The Pennslyvania native tweeted a video of his father deploying fire retardants for the wildfire in L.A.

"There he his (is)! Nice drop", Garrett Smithley tweeted.

People have reacted to the heroic effort that RK Smithley has put forth as a firefighter.

"Always thought these pilots were so brave. Amazing that’s your dad! Tell him thank you", one tweeted.

One showcased gratitude for the brave act displayed by Smithley's father.

"Send him a thank you from many of us. I've seen many posts of folks applauding these drops!", another tweeted.

Another commented that it would require a lot of talent for the pilots to deploy so much weight and still maintain flying optimally.

"Genuinely curious about that experience while flying. I would imagine all that load shift requires some legit pilot skills. Thank your dad for using his talents to help people", another replied.

The recent fires within Los Angeles have caused a lot of destruction in areas such as Hollywood Hills and Pacific Palisades. More than 10,000 buildings had been destroyed, and it had resulted in the loss of 11 lives.

Evacuation orders affected more than 153,000 residents, and contamination warnings had been issued for local beaches due to fire-related pollutants. The firemen had been working to bring the flames under control, but the chances of fresh outbreaks remained high with dry conditions and gusty winds.

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Garrett Smithley shared his heroic father is aiding the officials with wildfire extinguishing efforts

Garrett Smithley revealed that his father, RK Smithley, is flying the DC-10 Air Tanker, specifically Tanker 914, to aid relief efforts for wildfires in California and assist ground crews who are fighting the devastating fires in Los Angeles.

Garrett tweeted on X, hoping that his father's contributions will provide much-needed assistance to those on the front lines of the firefighting efforts.

"Dad is heading to Cali right now with @10Tanker Tanker 914 is flying now, he should be on scene tomorrow morning with tanker 912. Hopefully they will give the ground crews some much needed support to fight these awful fires", Smithley tweeted.

The ongoing wildfires, fueled by dry and windy conditions, had posed significant challenges for emergency services, making the contributions of individuals like RK Smithley crucial in the fight against this natural disaster.