BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- Some Kern County firefighters who were sent to combat blazes in the southland are finally headed home, but one of them got a special surprise. Zachary and Madeline Griffin are not quite high school sweethearts. But they're close. "We were mutual friends a little bit after we graduated from high school," said Madeline Griffin. "We hadn't met until 2019, we started dating that same year." Bakersfield movie theaters celebrate National Popcorn Day "We just kind of ran with it," said Zachary Griffin. They tied the knot in June 2024, and shortly after, Madeline became pregnant with what was supposed to be the couple's first child. "I had gotten some bloodwork testing done the day after we found out I was pregnant," said Madeline Griffin. "My bloodwork came back really high and I was like, 'We're just farther along, there's no way,' and then it wasn't until our first doctor's appointment that we found out there were two." But while expecting their first two children, disaster strikes across county lines. Among the Kern County firefighters sent to help was Zachary. "The fire was very destructive," said Zachary Griffin. "A lot of people have lost their homes. There's just a lot of destruction there. I wanted to stay, I wanted to help." But while the expectant dad was away combatting a tragedy, mom was at another ultrasound appointment. Obviously wanting to be a part of the moment, Zachary facetimed in to see. But neither would have guessed what they were going to find out next. "I'm sitting in the engine, talking to her and hoping to hear just healthy babies," said Zachary Griffin. "And the ultrasound tech says 'Oh, there's three.' And I was like, 'Nah, what's really going on?'" As if the two new parents weren't going to have their hands full already. "We had just gotten used to the idea of having two kids and now we're adding a whole 'nother life into the mix," said Madeline Griffin. Blessing Corner delivers hot meals, clothing to wildfire survivors Zachary is now safely at home, but he says this is just more motivation to keep fighting fires at home and beyond. "Definitely gave me another reason to keep going, keep fighting," said Zachary Griffin. "Doing it for not only the community that's over there, but doing it for my wife and then future children coming." Definitely a surprise for the young couple. But you know what they say: three's a party. "Go with the flow," said Zachary Griffin. "We're going to love these three regardless, we were going to love the two regardless. So, the more the merrier." Madeline said her and Zachary are expecting those triplets to arrive sometime in July.