LA firefighters draw laughs as they take the stage to deliver zingers during 2025 Oscar ceremony

The Los Angeles Fire Department stole the show at the 2025 Academy Awards, delivering several zingers to the top celebrities in the world.

On Sunday at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the first responders took the stage alongside this year’s Oscars host Conan O’Brien to deliver some jokes and be recognized for their work during the Palisades and Eaton fires.

“Everyone in the audience has to laugh,” O’Brien warned before they delivered their lines. “These are heroes!”

The firefighters were then all given a standing ovation.

“All of our hearts go out to those who have lost their homes... including the producers of JOKER 2,” one of the firefighters began, reading from a teleprompter.

Another firefighter went after Timothée Chalamet for his role as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and said the actor had to learn how to sing for the role. “In fact, his singing was so good, he almost lost the part,” the firefighter said.

The wildfires in Los Angeles had an impact on awards season. The Oscar nominees announcement was postponed, as were other events such as the Critics Choice Awards, plus major film premieres such as Robbie Williams’ biopic Better Man, and Unstoppable, starring Jennifer Lopez.

The wildfires that consumed large parts of Los Angeles in early January led some to call for the cancellation of the Academy Awards. The Academy twice postponed the announcement of nominations but never pushed the March 2 date of the ceremony. Academy leaders argued that the show must go ahead for economic reasons and as a symbol of resilience.

For many involved in the Oscars, the fires have been felt acutely. O'Brien's Pacific Palisades home survived, but his family has been unable to go back to it. O'Brien's assistant and podcast co-host, Sona Movsesian, lost her home.

In addition to the first responders’ appearance, the host also stunned the audience with an unexpected joke about the Kendrick Lamar and Drake Super Bowl beef.

“We’re halfway through the show, which means it’s time for Kendrick Lamar to come out and call Drake a pedophile in a diss track “Not Like Us.”

The joke made quite an impression on the crowd, who could be heard gasping in shock. He then suggested he wasn’t scared about making the joke as he had “lawyered up.”