Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday visited firefighters and paramedics in a community ravaged by the Los Angeles wildfires to thank them for their efforts during the disaster.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani sits in the cabin of a fire truck during a visit to a Los Angeles fire station on Jan. 30, 2025. (Pool photo)(Kyodo)

Along with teammates Emmet Sheehan and Ben Casparius, Ohtani chatted with the emergency workers, signed autographs and posed for photographs at a fire station in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Ohtani gave a short speech in English paying tribute to the firefighters and paramedics at the station.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani poses for photographs during a visit to a fire station in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2025. (Pool photo)(Kyodo)

“I want to just say thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your hard work. We appreciate it,” he said.

He also took the wheel used to operate the ladder of a firetruck at the station under instruction from one of the firefighters.

Ohtani earlier in January pledged to donate $500,000 (78 million yen) to help victims of the wildfires.