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Firefighter Appreciation Month
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Safari Park offers free admission to firefighters amid peak fire season

ESCONDIDO – The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is offering free admission to all active firefighters through the month of September as part of their Firefighter Appreciation Month to honor the hard work and sacrifice of firefighters everywhere.

Anyone who presents their active firefighter identification card with a photo along with their personal ID will receive free admission. Up to six accompanying family members or friends can get 10 percent off the purchase of a 1-Day Pass, as well.

California’s firefighters have been battling dozens of wildfires in recent weeks that have burned through hundreds of thousands of acres and are still only minimally contained. The park says that these heroes and their families have been extremely grateful to be celebrated in this way.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park
A family of giraffes at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The park is offering free admission to all active firefighters through the month of September as part of Firefighter Appreciation Month. Photo courtesy of SD Zoo Safari Park

“Firefighters are true heroes, and we are thrilled to be able to provide free admission to these hard-working professionals,” said Lisa Peterson, director of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. “It’s no question that firefighters run toward the danger that many others run from—with tremendous risk to their own lives. For that courage, we are grateful.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials met with President Donald Trump on Monday in Sacramento to ask for federal help with California’s wildfires as well as to discuss the impacts of climate change on the state’s ability to manage the fires.

President Trump refused to acknowledge that climate change had a role in the fires that continue to burn across the country.

San Diego Zoo Global, on the other hand, maintains that climate change, habitat loss and invasive plant species have created situations where fires are occurring much more frequently and with higher intensity.

“This year’s fire season is only beginning; but so far, we’re seeing that it will be one of the worse in our state’s history,” said Shawn Dixon, chief operating officer for San Diego Zoo Global. “Added to the destruction of property and the loss of human life, wildfires occurring repeatedly in the same locations are displacing native wildlife and altering fragile habitats that could take decades to repair. It’s more important now than ever that we support those protecting us on the front lines.”

Along with their support of local firefighters, the organization also supports more than 140 conservation projects in Southern California and worldwide to monitor native habitats, help replant habitats and to relocate vulnerable species.

For more information about the park’s Firefighter Appreciation Month, guests can visit SDZSafariPark.org.