Chuck Liddell Honors Modesto Firefighter
During the January 2025 response to the Eaton Fire, Modesto firefighter Ryan Fenton marked his promotion to engineer away from home. His Brush 1 crew had been deployed to Altadena, where they were helping fire crews protect the community. A planned station pinning ceremony gave way to an unexpected moment at the crew’s base camp: former UFC champion Chuck Liddell pinned Fenton’s new badge. KCRA reported the story on January 14, 2025.
A promotion recognized at the fire camp
Fenton had been due to celebrate the promotion with a pinning ceremony in Modesto. Instead, he and his crew were assigned to the Los Angeles County wildfire response. Liddell was visiting firefighters at their base camp to show support and joined the crew’s recognition of Fenton. He pinned the badge and signed its back, turning a postponed workplace ceremony into a memorable stop during the deployment, according to KCRA’s report.
Fenton told KCRA that the promotion itself was a major milestone and that having Liddell take part made the moment especially unusual. Battalion Chief Jim Black said the visit helped lift the crew’s spirits during demanding shifts. The report also noted that Liddell took photos with firefighters at the camp.
Modesto crews deployed to Southern California
The Eaton and Palisades fires drew more than 4,500 firefighters from California and seven Western states. In a later summary, the City of Modesto reported that 13 Modesto Fire Department members were deployed: five assigned to the Eaton Fire and eight to the Palisades Fire. Oakdale Leader reported that Modesto Brush 1 returned home from the Eaton incident on January 17.
KCRA reported that Modesto Fire planned to hold a formal pinning ceremony for Fenton after he returned. This account distinguishes that planned department ceremony from Liddell’s informal badge pinning at the fire camp.
