As part of the celebration of Black History Month, the Chargers organization is focusing on the town of Altadena, a community that stands as a symbol of resilience, progress, and unity. As we honor its rich history and significance in Black culture, we also recognize that Altadena needs the support of the greater Los Angeles community now more than ever.

Brandon Smith couldn't believe what his eyes were watching.

A day after the Eaton Fire ravaged through Altadena, a friend sent Smith a video of the street his grandparents' home was on.

The home — a long-standing source of joy and love that hosted everything from holiday celebrations to birthday parties — was gone. All that stood was ash and bricks.

"It's just devastating," Smith said. "The irony is that I work as a firefighter and I've consoled hundreds of homeowners after fires and said, 'It'll be OK. You can rebuild. Just be thankful that you're alive and for your health.'

"It's different when it hits you though. I'm blessed that my family is alive and that we're all safe," Smith added.

Smith's grandparents — Roy and Beverley Hillstock — lived in the house for 56 years. They couple moved into the residence in the 1960s when Altadena was one of the few areas Black people could buy houses in the Los Angeles area.

They raised four children in the home and welcomed 10 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and countless other family and friends for gatherings.

"If somebody needed a place to stay, they were there. If somebody needed some food or needed a place to rest, they were there," Smith said. "My grandparents are very big pillars in the community and are there to help anyone out in need."

He later added: "It's shocking to see the whole city is gone. Just devastated. Blocks upon blocks upon blocks … it looks like a war zone."

Smith himself grew up in the home, coming to live with his grandparents when he was only a few months old.

And the loss of the structure his especially close to home for Smith, who is doing meaningful and impactful work in the Black firefighting community.

Smith co-founded the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP) upon being released from prison in 2014.

FFRP is a tuition-free fire academy and job placement program for marginalized communities in California that helps current and formerly incarcerated people build firefighting careers.

To date, the FFRP has helped more than 300 formerly incarcerated people find jobs as firefighters.

It's a career Smith never imagined for himself growing up in Altadena.

"Actually, the opposite. If there was any career I could have, I did not want to be a firefighter," Smith said with a smile. "I was extremely, extremely terrified. But while incarcerated, when the opportunity came to me, the benefits outweighed my fears and negatives."

Smith went to prison in 2008 and reluctantly joined a fire camp. But his perspective slowly started to change as he learned firefighting skills while also picking up life lessons.

A 2013 experience in fire camp helped cement Smith's view that he wanted to become a full-time firefighter.

"We were coming down a mountain and there were people waving all these flags and saying, 'Thank you, firefighters.' I was like, 'Oh, that's cool,'" Smith said. "But then my captain turned back to us and said, 'Hey, you know they're talking to you. They are thanking you. You are a firefighter.'

"At that moment I realized that I am not the sum of my mistakes," Smith added. "It was so interesting for me to be incarcerated but these people telling me, 'Thank you,' for being a public servant. It was that servitude and giving back to the community that I want to continue doing once I came home."

And it was there he met Royal Ramey, whom he eventually co-founded the FFRP with.

Smith and Ramey both recalled what early conversations about their potential future were like.

"We would come together and talk about life in the future," Smith said. "I remember him coming up to me and saying, 'Hey bro, I actually like doing this work. I want to be a firefighter.'

"My response was, 'Guess what? So do I.' We used to talk about life once we got released, our families and the things we wanted to do," Smith added.

Ramey said: "We both found a passion and love for wildland firefighting when we were in prison. We had a conversation of, 'What does it look like going forward in post release?' We always said we wanted to be like a modern-day Harriet Tubman and help other folks trying to transition into the firefighting profession as well."

Smith and Ramey were both released from prison in 2014 with the necessary firefighting skills and tools.

But they both initially struggled to find jobs, something the FFRP focuses on to help those who are formerly incarcerated.

Smith and Ramey eventually landed with two different firefighting organizations. And it was at their first fire that they ran into the same fire camp they had been a part of in prison.

"It helped me remember where I came from and never forget that," Smith, 40, said. "But on the other end, the firefighters that were still incarcerated looked at us in awe. Wide open eyes.

"It was one of the first times they had seen someone formerly incarcerated like them, and someone that they knew, who had transitioned over professionally," Smith added.

Smith and Ramey now go back and speak at nearly three dozen fire camps across the state.

Ramey credits Smith with having a driven mindset to get FFRP up and running to make a profound impact on peoples' lives.

"His persistence. He's a dreamer … and he's a risk taker," Ramey said. "But he said, 'Look man, we're going to do this. We're going to put ourselves out there to the world and show them that this is a true issue.'"

"It's really surreal. I think this is something we were born and destined to do," Ramey added. "There's no greater feeling than being able to see people transform their lives."

In the short-term, Smith said he will continue making an impact with the FFRP to help find careers for those who are formerly incarcerated.

But in the long-term, Smith's goal is to help rebuild his grandparents' house and lift the community that helped raise him.

"It only makes my grit stronger for FFRP. It makes my grit stronger for Altadena and the Altadena community and residents," Smith said. "We will rebuild and we will come back bigger and better and stronger than ever. We're still here."

He later added: "Altadena is still my home. Altadena has my heart and Altadena will be my home forever."

Click here to support and donate to The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program.