While Manitoba Conservation and Climate and local firefighters are battling the fire raging in the R.M. of Piney, a small army has taken up residence in the kitchen at the Woodridge Community Hall.

A group of Woodridge residents has taken up the call to feed those working the front lines of the fire, and their kitchen crew is busy prepping lunches and dinners to feed the firefighters.

Cory Johnson is one resident that has made herself at home in the hall kitchen, and she is glad to help feed the firefighters, "They are here in town to quelch this beast, and keep our residents and properties safe."

The community hall members got a call Sunday night from Manitoba Conservation and Climate asking for their help. With the provincial fire attack crews arriving on Monday, they wanted to make sure their crew was fed.

This isn’t the first time Woodridge residents have stepped up to help in this way. They did the same thing three years ago when they helped feed those fighting the fires out in the community of Badger, and are very familiar with what it involves.

The kitchen crew spends their day preparing bag lunches, and getting dinner ready for approximately 57 members working the fire. And current COVID restrictions are forcing them to make these meals as take-out only. ‘But we’re still as busy as bees behind the scenes trying to get these guys something to sustain them through their hours of hard work.’

In addition to people working in the hall kitchen, they also have a group that heads out early in the morning to grocery shop for the day, and according to Johnson, "We’re emptying some of the shelves at the grocery stores in Steinbach."

So, what do firefighters eat when fighting fires? Their bag lunches consist of 2 different types of sandwiches, pepperoni sticks, apples, bananas, a dessert packet, and a Gatorade.

Dinner consists of meals like penne pasta with meat sauce, meatloaf, vegetables, dessert, and Gatorade and water.

Johnson is thankful to be part of those feeding the firefighters. "We’re doing our bit and we’re very grateful for the hard work that they've been doing. This is only a small way of saying thank you for keeping our community safe. It's not an effort, it's something that we want to do."