Community rallies around firefighters at VFW breakfast
Phoenix-area firefighter Eric Brink was among the more than 100 firefighters, many from outside the area, who attended the free biscuits and gravy breakfast Sunday as a "thank you" for their efforts at fighting the Paradise fire. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Members of the Plains High volleyball and football teams volunteered to serve breakfast to the more than 100 firefighters who attended the event at the Wildhorse VFW in Plains early Sunday morning. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
A full house of firefighters were treated to a biscuits and gravy breakfast Sunday morning and a thank you for their hard work battling the nearby Paradise fire. More than 100 firefighters were served. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
The Wildhorse VFW hall was built to host functions and events for heroes who served their country.
On Sunday, a different group of heroes were honored inside the hallowed halls as more than 100 firefighters who had been battling the Paradise-area River Road East Fire were treated to one of the VFW Auxiliary’s popular biscuits and gravy breakfast events.
An idea put forth by the Auxiliary and the American Red Cross, the breakfast was intended to provide a hearty meal and a brief interlude to the hard, gritty and potentially perilous work the men and women from fire departments throughout the West have been tackling in the rugged terrain.
The fire broke out Friday and grew quickly as high winds and higher gusts of wind spread embers throughout the area, touching off numerous spot fires and covering the area from Paradise to Plains with a thick veil of smoke.
By Sunday morning, with the winds having calmed overnight, bits of ash began raining down on the area.
For the firefighters, many of whom have been working 16-hour shifts, the breakfast was a much appreciated and tasty break from their duties on the fire line.
“We often work 16-hour shifts”, said Eric Brink, a firefighter from Phoenix. “We wish we could work more. It means a lot to us to help protect these communities. The people here have been very good to us”.
Brink has been fighting wildfires throughout the western United States for eight years.
“It’s a good thing to feel like we are helping people”.
By 7 a.m., the VFW hall was full of tired firefighters who were obviously appreciative of the breakfast. More were expected throughout the morning.
“The Red Cross said we could expect up to 200 people,” said Auxiliary member Becky Powley, who greeted the arriving throng of firefighters. “I’m think we will feed somewhere between 100 and 150 firefighters, but more would be okay. We love feeling like we are helping out.”
Another group of Plains-area volunteers was also there in the early morning hours Sunday as several members of the Plains High School football and volleyball teams took turns serving breakfast to the steadily growing group of firefighters.
Plains football player Zayden Allen, a junior, said helping seemed like a great way to say thanks.
“There are a lot of families who have been affected by this fire,” Allen said while waiting in a line of servers for his turn to take plates of biscuits, sausage gravy and scrambled eggs to the hungry heroes. “That fire came pretty close to where we live and it just seems like a nice thing to do something to help and thank these firefighters for what they have done.”
A dozen or more Plains High School volunteers made sure the firefighters had plenty of fresh water to drink and collected empty plates. Others were waiting to help with dishwashing duties when the breakfast ended.
In the kitchen, several volunteers worked tirelessly to keep the flow of food going. It was estimated at least 20 dozen eggs would be used as well as more than 100 biscuits. The breakfast was the same as is served to veterans one a month during the year.
