Jerry O’Connell Becomes Real-Life Hero, Battling Raging Flames to Save Malibu Food Truck

Jerry O’Connell promptly sprang into action upon noticing a food truck engulfed in flames in Malibu, California.

According to the local sheriff's deputies who spoke to TMZ on Monday, July 18, the truck fire had been discovered the previous day. As the authorities arrived at the location, they swiftly rescued a man from the ablaze vehicle and initiated the removal of nearby propane tanks.

O'Connell, aged 49, was driving with his 14-year-old twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie, who he has with his wife Rebecca Romijn, when he noticed a disaster. He immediately pulled over to move a gas can away from the nearby fire. Showing great bravery, he climbed a fence to acquire a fire extinguisher and assisted the deputies in their attempt to contain the flames until the fire department arrived.

This is not the first occasion where the actor has garnered attention for his involvement in firefighting. In 2003, he aided firefighters in combating a wildfire near the San Bernardino mountains, which happened to be close to his residence at the time.

O’Connell's daughters were exposed to a different side of their father, a heroically inclined demeanor, which was not typically witnessed by them. The 50-year-old Romijn, cohost of The Talk, disclosed to We magazine that they find pleasure in exercising their parental privilege of humorously embarrassing their children in the public eye.

In November 2019, Romijn exclusively revealed to Us that there is an old car in their household and they believe it is crucial to embarrassingly drop off their kids at school using it. In their hometown, it is commonly referred to as a "hooptie."

Her husband added, "We reside in Calabasas, a suburb of Los Angeles, known for being home to numerous celebrity families [and where expensive cars are frequently seen on the roads]. In our neighborhood, there are only a few malls, and it's not hard to recognize when a celebrity is present, as several parking spaces are occupied by luxurious Bentleys. Contrary to that, we do not own a Bentley or any equivalent car."

The couple, who tied the knot in 2007, openly acknowledge the challenges of raising twin teenage girls.

"We became parents to twins and now we find ourselves hesitant to separate, fearing that one of us may end up solely responsible for our children," O'Connell humorously shared with Us in November 2019. "Our decision to stay together is not solely for the sake of the kids, but rather to avoid a unique custody battle. Unlike the well-known lengthy and tumultuous custody battles that famous couples go through, ours would be remarkably swift. 'Your honor, I should have no involvement with these children.' ... They are well aware of this situation, it's no secret."