ELY, Minn. (Northern News Now) – More than 700 firefighters are working 14-hour shifts fighting flames in the Superior National Forest, but many work to provide them with the comforts of home in between those shifts by feeding the firefighters.
Feeding the Firefighters(NNN)
After a 14-hour shift protecting structures from the Camp Fire north of Ely, Fayal Township Firefighter Brian Hoag sat down to enjoy a home-cooked meal.
“To come in and have a hot roast beef sandwich with mac and cheese and vegetables and beans, it’s just delicious,” said Hoag. “It’s a nice way to end the shift.”
The meals are thanks to the work of 20 employees with Big Sky Mobile Catering, a service dispatched to fire responses around the country.
It’s safe to say the crew has plenty of food on hand, prepping 700 pounds of meat just for Monday night’s pot roast.
“I’ve worked in plenty of fine dining, all the restaurants, bars, whatever,” said Dean White, Big Sky’s head cook. “But this is the restaurant gig where I feel like I’m doing something.”
Big Sky’s Kitchen Manager Slaton Owens said their goal is to make hardy, home-cooked meals so firefighters have the energy to do their job.
“They’re getting a good meal and then get to go home and get some good rest,” said Owens. “So it’s great just being a part of the mission.”
Feeding the Firefighters(NNN)
Owens says he has been to around 30 different camps during his time catering. But in Ely, he learned quickly how the small town supports its neighbors.
“Here, people are just coming knocking, looking for us, asking questions like wanting to be a part of it,” he said. “That’s been super cool, just a tight-knit community wanting to help out.”
Local firefighters like Hoag also feel the support from both the community and those working to keep them fed.
Feeding the Firefighters(NNN)
“They have hundreds of people to feed, and what they have set up is amazing,” said Hoag.
Owens said his crew is anticipating even more firefighters to come in, prepping their meals for up to a thousand firefighters in the next few days.
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Dining and Cooking