01/11/08
Fire Story: Larry Himmel
Larry Himmel has been a fixture at KFMB-TV (Channel Eight) here in San Diego for as long as I can recall. Growing up, I remember (back when local television had the budget for their own programming) a show called San Diego At Large, which was a comedy program featuring Himmel and Rick Rockwell (whom you might remember went onto fame as the millionaire in Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?). They gave us Elvis-themed Viva La Mesa, and played recurring roles as Biff and Skippy, two idiot beach bums trying to find their way into and out of local trouble.
Larry still works as a reporter at KFMB. On October 22, 2007, he had to cover what was probably the most disturbing and painful story of his life: the fiery destruction of his own home.
It’s debatable who had the worse fate: Larry, who had to share the pain of losing his home with all of San Diego, or the hundreds of other families who had to suffer theirs in silence. In either case, John Foster, of fuszion, distilled the searing emotion into one iconic image:
His poster uniquely captures the personal horror of watching your sanctuary — your own private place — disappear in a flash. Check out his poster, and if it touches you, consider buying a copy to help support everyone affected by this devastation.
