Brooklyn's Fight: From Burns to Feet

Fellow firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority gave an emotional welcome to 15-year-old Brooklyn Mallet at John Wayne Airport last night.

She's a daughter of Captain Mike Mallet and got badly burned when her off-road vehicle flipped and caught fire during a spring break trip in St. St. St. George, Utah.

The crash covered over 40% of her body and burns as she rode back to camp with friends and family. Earlier this month, Brooklyn was off-roading in a Polaris RZR with a friend when the accident happened.

Firefighters nearby, including some from her dad's crew, rushed in with emergency gear they always carry and helped pull the girls to safety.

She got initial care in Las Vegas before flying home to the UCI Burn Unit in Orange. Colleagues lined the tarmac with flashing red lights, honoring one of their own as Brooklyn waved weekly from the plane.

Her dad and the team have been right there, turning a nightmare into a show of brotherhood.

Even a family friend named Elena Pastorino, who was also hurt, made it back to school already. She's a freshman dancer and cheerleader at Santiago High in Corona and has gone through 10 surgeries on her back, arms and legs with more skin.

Grass ahead. But the big news is, she stood up on both feet yesterday for the first time, shocking everyone who's seen her bedridden.

Seeing her roll out smiling on that gurney hits different proof that grit and quick action turn tragedy around, and Brooklyn's fight is just getting.

It started that wraps California news today, brought to you with AI.