Firefighters Ask Public to ‘Fill the Boot’ to Benefit the Burn Institute

Watch closely on your morning or evening commute and you might spot a firefighter in traffic.

Don't worry. Nothing bad will have happened. Quite the opposite —firefighters from nearly three dozen local, state and federal agencies will fan out throughout the county to collect donations from motorists to benefit the Burn Institute's programs for fire victims.

The program, in which firefighters ask commuters to reach out of their car windows to put a donation in a boot, raised more than $210,000 last year. 

Firefighters will be out in Carlsbad, Encinitas, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Jolla, La Mesa, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo and Santee. 

For complete list of locations, see display box. In La Mesa they will be University and Allison Avenues; Bancroft Drive and Grossmont Boulevard; and Fletcher Parkway and Dallas Street. Don't forget to grab your spare change and dollar bills and help them fill the boot!