YOU CAN TAKE AVILA OUT OF THE FIREHOUSE, BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE THE THE FIREFIGHTER OUT OF AVILA

By Juan Montoya
They say that old soldiers never die, that they simply fade away. In the case of former Pct. 2 Constable Pete Avila, that may well apply to old firefighters.

The way it is told, Avila was with his son (also a firefighter) when they came upon one of the cars in the Charro Days parade Saturday that caught on fire near Elizabeth and Fifth streets on the route.
The car was a red convertible carrying actor Carlos de la Mota who was in the entourage from Mexico City with Mr. Amigo Juan Osorio and included other actors such as Pablo Montero.
Witnesses say that when the convertible caught fire, police tried to keep people away, including Avila, who told the officer he was a firefighter. He then took a nearby cooler, had his son open the hood and doused the fire that had started near the oxygen intake on top of the motor.
"I was looking for a Coke or something that would put the fire out, but the only thing nearby was my son's cooler," he said. "That did it."
Avila then said he removed the positive wire from the battery to prevent the reignition of the fire. Passersby pushed the car and it was towed away about half a block away.
De la Mota was then transferred to another car carrying other celebrities and continued on his way.
Avila retired from the Brownsville Fire Department after serving for 26 years.