Laborers Keep Going Despite California Fire

An immense cloud of smoke darkened the sky and turned Santa Monica into an eerie orange hue. Yet, landscapers kept trimming, builders kept constructing, and delivery drivers kept on their routes. It was just another day for the hired hands. Adrian Rodriguez, a landscaper from Querétaro, Mexico, explained, "The weather's good for trimming. No sparks yet. " David Salais and his crew of construction workers were reluctantly leaving a $13-million home when a police car ordered them out. "We work through wind, rain, fire, " Salais said. "Until cops kick us out, we keep going. " He chuckled, "Mexicans are wired to work! "

Marvin Altamirano, a UPS delivery driver, was making deliveries despite the chaos. "We gotta pay bills, " he said. Even with the fire's smoke thickening, he'd still make deliveries as long as he wasn't too close to the flames. On Marguerita Avenue, a construction crew calmly fixed a damaged balcony. "We have to survive, " said Josue Curiel. "That's why we're still here. If you're a worker, you're hungry, so that's what it is. "

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