From the chaos of wildfires to the grind of racing, Cory Souza is balancing a life of heroism and adrenaline

Growing up, Cory Souza wanted to be a stock car driver just like his father Todd. Instead, he’s spent most of his adult life fighting fires throughout California.

Now 27 with a wife and two children, Cory Souza is enjoying the best of both worlds. He’s a full-time member of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, colloquially known as Cal Fire, all while helping his parents manage Central Coast Racing and competing in hobby stocks at dirt tracks around the state.

Souza isn’t afraid to admit life can be overwhelming, but he understands a dedicated, concerted effort is always needed no matter the circumstance. This mindset was needed when he was tasked with battling the wildfires that devastated Southern California in January of 2025.

The task itself was nothing new, but the scale remains perplexing to Souza one year later. He never imagined places like Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Hollywood would be in the path of large-scale wildfires.

“It’s a weird perspective for us, because we do this so often and get numb to it,” Souza said. “I’ve been to a hundred fires in my career so far, and [the LA fires] definitely stand out. When I was there in the aftermath, [I saw] how doomed everyone was feeling and how horrific [the site] was.”

Souza remembers being at the station when he received the first notification about the fires on Watch Duty, an app that tracks wildfires and provides updates on firefighting efforts. As the minutes ticked by, the fires only continued to grow, all while Souza awaited the order to go out and combat the growing blaze.

By the time Souza and his company were dispatched the following day, the worst part of the fire was over, but the damage was already catastrophic. Roughly 57,000 acres were burned, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed, and between 31-440 people lost their lives by the time the last of the fires were contained at the end of the month.

Kelly and Todd Souza had long grown accustomed to wildfires in Southern California and knew how to react accordingly, but the early news reports painted a concerning picture. While they were not in direct danger, neither had seen a massive wildfire so close to heavily populated areas.

Talking with Cory in the aftermath provided Kelly some insight into the financial and mental toll the wildfires had inflicted.

“I had never heard [Cory] describe anything like that before,” Kelly said. “He said it looked like a third world country had been hit with a nuclear bomb. He was with a lot of veterans, and nobody could talk. They were all there when people were starting to come back, and they’ve never heard cries like that.

“Everyone was calling it apocalyptic. It was.”

As tragic as the situation was, Kelly and Todd took pride in knowing their son was among the thousands on the frontlines helping Southern California start a long recovery process.

Kelly and Todd have always known Cory to be an outgoing, athletic person, as he played both football and baseball in high school. The younger Souza wanted to balance racing with high school sports, but rigorous practice schedules ultimately prevented him from climbing into a car during his youth.

It was also in high school when a friend of Souza’s interested him in an explorer program, which provided hands-on experience and training in criminal justice, community service and similar areas. The decision to join this explorer program set Souza on a career path that would lead to his becoming a firefighter.

Souza’s family is filled with numerous first responders, so he feels honored to continue that tradition. The job carries plenty of stress, but Souza also feels gratified knowing he gets to make a positive impact in the community alongside those he calls his “brothers and sisters.”

“My parents own a cabinet shop, so [they’re] always at a desk,” Souza said. “I didn’t really want a desk job, but I got into [the explorer program], and within a couple months, I thought it was super cool. [Being a firefighter came down to] seeing how cool the job was, how active you could be and how much you could help others.

“You want to try and make someone’s worst day a little bit better.”

Through every part of his journey as a firefighter, Souza never lost his passion for motorsports and began searching for an avenue to start a racing career of his own. Souza could finance some of the endeavor through firefighting, but he knew it would take time and diligence to find sustainability behind the wheel.

Todd, who picked up his lone ARCA Menards Series West win at Miller Motorsports Park in 2008, is actively assisting his son’s racing exploits alongside Kelly, but only to a certain degree. He wants Cory to understand nothing is given in racing, and that the sport requires immense sacrifice.

“I told [Cory] you’re going to do things like I did,” Todd said. “You’re going to buy your first [car] yourself, and you have to show me you want this. I’m not going to throw you in a $150,000 ARCA car; you have to work your way up like I did. I want to see you’re willing to work on this stuff yourself and earn it.”

The transition into racing has been an onerous, methodical one for Cory, but he is determined to make progress with every race he enters. If everything unfolds like Cory believes it will, he hopes to start making appearances in asphalt events with the goal of eventually competing in a West Series race with his family’s team.

Motorsports will never be a full-time venture for Souza with everything taking place in his life and constantly being on call. Despite this, Souza feels this is the closest he has been to accomplishing a lifelong dream. He intends to stay this course for as long as his busy schedule allows.

“I’m just trying to get my dirt experience all dialed in,” Souza said. “It’s very hard to be real committed to it while juggling being a fireman, juggling being a dad and husband all while supporting Central Coast Racing. It’s happening, but it’s happening really slow because I’m so stretched thin.”

Although Souza’s job can keep him away from home for days or even weeks at a time, he can usually attend every event on the West Series schedule. Kelly and Todd are grateful for the stability their son’s presence provides for Central Coast Racing, as his responsibilities include talking to potential clients along with managing supplies like tires.

The younger Souza has also served as a crew chief, car chief and even a test driver for the family operation.

Souza has enjoyed helping Central Coast Racing grow into one of the most consistent West Series programs of the 2020s. While Kelly and Todd are proud of what they have built, they feel the journey would be incomplete without Cory attempting at least one West Series event with them.

Todd sees the effort Cory is putting into racing with how much of his free time is spent on improving the performance of the hobby stock. There is a plan in place for Cory to advance to the West Series on at least a part-time basis, but Todd said that is predicated on his son’s preferences and availability.

“I want [Cory] to do whatever makes him happy,” Todd said. “He’s paid his dues by going to school and working as a fireman. [Hopefully] he can work his way up to seniority where [he] can pick his days off. At this level, you’ve got to have experience and seat time. He knows what it costs and what it takes to do this.

“If he’s still into it and feels he’s ready, we’ll put him in the late model for some races. After that, he’ll jump into the ARCA car.”

Todd and Kelly are optimistic Cory’s West Series debut will happen sooner than later, yet the two find peace over the life their son has built as a member of Cal Fire.

In nearly a decade as a firefighter, Souza has experienced everything the job could possibly offer, with last year’s wildfires only being one chapter of that story. There were plenty of other harrowing sights observed by Souza during that timeframe, but he does not let that distract him from his objective to make someone’s worst day better.

During the Cache Fire in 2021, Souza was part of a group that helped rescue a woman engulfed in flames from a trailer park. She survived after being treated at a burn center. For his efforts in rescuing the woman, Souza received a silver Medal of Valor, one of the highest honors a public safety officer can receive in the state of California.

Even with such a prestigious accolade to Cory’s name, Kelly is always concerned about her son’s safety. She understands the risks, which were only amplified when Cory and dozens of other companies had to combat the wildfires that enveloped Southern California one year ago.

Kelly is thankful Cory was not seriously harmed in the fires and continues to save lives at every available opportunity. Should another similar spell of wildfires break out in the region, Kelly expects Cory to be ready to fight them, a thought that brings her both comfort and trepidation.

“He sure liked being a hero that day, which makes a mother nervous,” Kelly said. “I said ‘Cory, you don’t ever put yourself in harm’s way to be a hero’. He’s got to make sure he comes out, but he gets it. It’s tough as the mother of a young boy who gets honored by the governor to say, ‘don’t make this a habit’, but he loves helping.

“It’s the proudest thing I can imagine, knowing your kid is out there trying to save LA.”

With California experiencing between 7,000-8,000 wildfires every year, Souza knows the phenomenon will always be a part of his job. He hopes no part of California ever deals with a series of wildfires as destructive as the ones from January 2025, which continue to have lingering effects on survivors into the present day.

As Southern California continues to rebuild, Souza is hard at work balancing out home life with his duties as a firefighter. There is hardly any time for Souza to rest and regroup, but unless he is physically incapable of doing so, he is always ready to respond to an emergency at a moment’s notice.

For all the chaos being a firefighter brings, the job also carries a sense of peace, stability and belonging.

“I get to do a lot of cool things,” Souza said. “Every shift is something different. I like unpredictable schedules because it keeps you on your toes. Another perk is you get to be with your brothers and sisters, [which is like] having a second family that you can rely on. Staying fit while getting paid is something I take advantage of.

“When I’m off duty, I’m running around with my head cut off trying to catch up on everything I need to get done. When I’m at work, I focus on being a fireman.”

As a child, Souza never believed his adult life would involve fighting fires, managing a race team, competing in motorsports events and caring for his family all at the same time. Souza has embraced every aspect that defines his background and is eager to tackle the next challenge ahead, whether that involves a stock car or a fire.