Creek Fire: Clovis brewery stepping in to help volunteer firefighters impacted by flames

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Monday, October 19, 2020
Creek Fire: Clovis brewery stepping in to help volunteer firefighters impacted by flames
The company that prides itself on supporting first responders is doing just that with their latest release: Frontline Black Lager.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Less than 24 hours after coming back from the front lines of the single largest fire in state history, Isaac Naylor and family have joined the bottling line at Tactical Ops Brewing.

The company that prides itself on supporting first responders is doing just that with their latest release: Frontline Black Lager.

"Friends, family, they've lost their property, their livelihood is impacted, it's going to take a lot to get this community up and going again," Naylor said.

The wildland firefighter with the US forest service spent two weeks working the Creek Fire alongside his wife and daughter.

"Spent most of my time in the forest toward Edison Lake in Florence, where the fire is currently at," Naylor said.

Knowing fellow firefighters' homes were on the Creek Fire's path of destruction, fighting flames wasn't enough for them.

Naylor says volunteering was their way to not only give back to those impacted by the flames but to help with healing.

"We all do fire, but I think it's important the community supports each other," he said. "We have to lend each other hands. We're neighbors."

Tactical ops is bottling their latest label "Frontline," an ode to the volunteer firefighters of the Creek Fire. Many of whom lost their homes while protecting the community around them.

"Some of our employees are from the foothills and this hit close to them," says Brewing Manager Carlos Tovar.

Tovar says many of their customers are firefighters that jumped at the chance to pitch in.

"We try to do as much as possible for first responders and military through the brewery, so this is just another opportunity for us to do that," he said.

Dozens attended the socially distant frontline release party to show their support.

"We're not here to make money ,it's just to be involved in the community and donate and do whatever we can for that," Tovar said.

One-hunred percent of the proceeds go directly to the volunteer firefighters impacted by the Creek Fire.

If you missed the release party, Tactical Ops is taking orders online.