A Los Angeles Chef Steps Up to Feed the Community After Losing His Home to the 2025 Palisades Fire

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Daniel Shemtob, the chef behind the food trucks Lime Truck and Hatch, along with his chef shoe brand Snibbs, suffered a loss when his home was destroyed in the 2025 Pacific Palisades Fire. Taking advantage of the space provided by his in-laws' house, he didn't waste any time in joining forces with World Central Kitchen to deliver food assistance to those affected by the fires and the first responders.

This week, Shemtob also started a GoFundMe to support the Lime Truck in continuing to provide assistance, help his family get back on their feet, and support first responders and those affected by the fires.

My wife rushes into the house and says, "You need to come outside." I hurry downstairs and see the hill on fire. I figure there's no way it will come crashing down to our house. My wife tells me we're headed to her aunt's house and we need to leave right away. I keep talking on the phone while I'm packing, thinking the fire will probably skip over us. I just grab a couple of important items and my work stuff, assuming I'll be away for the day and need to be able to keep working.

I walked into the fridge and thought, "I haven't eaten anything so far today." It was noon already, so I grabbed some leftover chicken meatballs and turkey, just in case I got stuck in traffic and couldn't get food delivered to the house.

Around 6 p.m. I figured out there was a pretty good possibility this fire was going to reach my neighborhood. I made a silly decision to head back home because my wife hadn't packed as much as she'd wanted. A large four-by-four vehicle was ahead of me, pushing through roadblocks, so I just followed behind it to get home. Three houses down from ours, I saw a house on fire. I ran into our house, which was still standing, and grabbed the personal belongings I knew my wife wanted. The firefighters were outside on our street yelling at me, telling me I needed to leave right away.

Around 11:45 p.m. that night, I received a text from our remote security system, which said, "Smoke in the master bedroom." Our security continued calling us, and I informed them that our house was on fire.

The next day, January 8th, I was consumed by a deep sense of sadness. I spent most of the day in the bath, relaying on the news for information, but struggling to focus on anything. I desperately needed human interaction and couldn't be left alone. My wife was overwhelmed with stress and work, so I rode my friend's bike into Brentwood, and into the Palisades, taking in the views. Our whole neighborhood seemed flat and depressing.

Friday night, something hit me. I recall going through COVID-19, losing my mom, and losing my catering business. I'd been through that before, and the depression took nine months to overcome. The feelings I was experiencing this time felt just as familiar, so I recognized them within myself. This time, I decided things wouldn't be the same. I realized I could accomplish a lot more, and I had a support system I'd never had before. My wife's parents immediately asked, "How can we help you?" It was time for me to take action and give back to others. The next morning, I got to participate in an event with World Central Kitchen, which was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had. It really helped me.

I was a member of a church in Pasadena with celebrity chef Tyler Florence. I arrived on site without any preparation, including clothes, utensils, or equipment. Before my shift started the next morning, I purchased a pair of pants at a store. I informed my team about the lack of a knife roll, and they kindly provided me with the necessary utensils. However, things were taken to a new level when Tyler gave me his own personal knife roll, which was a substantial gesture and quite humbling—considering he's a well-known chef, I don't feel like I'm on the same level.

I told Tyler to stand in the front of the truck to give high-fives, wave, and put smiles on people's faces. Because the main goal of us being there was to make people have a good experience. He started doing that and then saw just how many people were packing the line. He got into the truck, and we were able to navigate that line quickly.

I still have a clear image of a family with three kids who approached the truck after losing their home. One of the family members, likely in his late 40s, spoke up to me and said how delicious the food was and what a fun day it had been. It was the first time I'd managed to crack a smile in days.

“I appreciate the hands-on aspect of cooking and making a positive impact on people through my culinary work. That's really what cooking is all about for me.”

That day, I saw the community come together. Despite everyone feeling lost and sad, there was a sense of warmth in the air. That solidified my love for this city. Although I had a general idea, I was actually unfamiliar with WCK's true mission. But it seems they're all about fostering community connections and caring for people. It's more than just providing good food; it's about building stronger communities by getting people to work together, and that's exactly what unfolded.

The following day, I shared with my team, "Let's do as many of these events as possible."

It continues to amaze me how quickly the hospitality industry springs into action after natural disasters strike. During the time of COVID, we were all severely affected financially, and we had to close down four of my restaurants. Despite the difficulties, I still managed to provide free meals and shoes at my food truck, while also paying my employees and covering the costs of ingredients, because I genuinely knew that's what the community needed during that time. I've had the opportunity to witness the incredible community support and response firsthand.

Over the next few days, we've been cooking between 500 to 1,500 meals daily for groups impacted by the fires, or those who are fighting the fires. Since then, I've been working two shifts every day, and we've recently begun giving away shoes.

I've given to World Central Kitchen (WCK) before, but being on the ground with them is a whole different story. I don't think one way is better than the other, but I prefer the hands-on experience of actually lending a hand to people. That's what cooking is all about.