Fundraiser to support family of fallen firefighter

A Newport Beach company is raising money for the family of a firefighter who was killed in the line of duty in Riverside.

The drive will culminate Sunday at Pirate Coast Paddle Co. in the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort where participants can rent stand-up paddleboards or partake in a barbecue to help raise money for Chris Douglas’ wife and two kids.

Douglas, a CAL FIRE engineer and paramedic, was fatally struck by a car in July while he was responding to a call on Interstate 10 in Thousand Palms.

He was 41, leaving behind a 2-year-old son and a wife expecting their second child.

Since then, firefighters as far away as Newport Beach and Seal Beach have rallied around the family he left behind.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the support from the firefighter community,” Chris’ wife Amy Douglas said.

Since Monday, Pirate Coast Paddle Co. has donated 50% of its proceeds to Chris Douglas’ family if they mention the firefighter.

Sunday, that will culminate in the event that’s open to the public from noon to 4 p.m., Amy Douglas said.

“It’s just kind of a fun day-fair, and we’re hoping to get a bigger group on [Sunday],” she said. “There’s going to be a lot of firefighters there.”

Although Chris Douglas only lived briefly in Newport — he and his family had just bought a house in Temecula — his wife has deep roots in the Balboa community.

She grew up on Balboa Island and graduated from Corona del Mar High School, she said.

The paddleout is a fitting way to honor Chris, his wife said.

“My husband was a big surfer and loved the water, anything that had to do with the water,” she said.

If You Go

What: Fundraiser for the family of firefighter Chris Douglas

Where: Pirate Coast Paddle Co. at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach

When: Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday

Information: (949) 278-0011