Tim Bergon and his colleagues took a short break from fighting fires

May 20, 2014 10:51 GMT  ·  By

A quick “selfie” snapped by an exhausted California firefighter while he and his colleagues were taking a break from fighting blazes during their mission in San Marcos, San Diego County, has gone viral and spread like wildfire across social media.

According to CBS News 8, San Marcos firefighter Tim Bergon took the picture and sent it to his wife to let her know he was OK. The image, which has since racked up more than 35,000 likes and more than 4,000 shares on Facebook, shows Tim lying on the ground with other firefighters resting in the background.

It's certainly a touching image, that symbolizes the sacrifice of all firefighters who put their lives on the line so that the rest of us can be safe.

The owners of Plan 9 Alehouse in Escondido posted Bergon's selfie on their Facebook and Twitter pages, accompanied by the message “Thank you!”

“When you see how exhausted they are, it just makes you really really grateful for all that they do, and all they always do,” said Monica Calles, the owner of the restaurant. “It touched us, so we passed it on.”

Last week, San Diego County was affected by a rash of major wildfires that destroyed dozens of homes and businesses as drought, Santa Ana winds, and high temperatures fueled the blazes.