‘I want to give you a kiss.’ Neil Diamond hosts sing-along for Colorado firefighters

Just months into his retirement, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Diamond surprised firefighters who have been battling a blaze for more than a month. The fire is near his Colorado home, the Associated Press reported.

“Now, you have to save my house,” the singer joked to the crowd of firefighters. They got a good laugh, as heard in the video posted by the Lake Christine Fire Facebook page. Diamond has had a home in the valley for “a few decades,” the Aspen Times reported.

“I want to take you all home, I want to give you a kiss, I want to make dinner for you, and I just want to say thank you...” Diamond told the crowd of firefighters.

He and his wife, Katie, stopped by the Incident Command Post on Friday, KOAA reported, and thanked those who have been fighting the blaze for almost a month. Nearly 500 people are working to contain the fire, which is near Basalt in central Colorado.

After giving his thanks, the singer played his well-known “Sweet Caroline” — and the firefighters sang along.

The fire is 82 percent contained as of 2 p.m. Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It has reached about 12,500 acres.

Two people are accused of starting the fire on July 3 by firing incendiary tracer rounds at a shooting range, the Associated Press reported. The rounds are banned year-round at the range, the Aspen Daily News reported.

This story was originally published July 30, 2018 at 2:51 PM.