Water, Gatorade And Breakfast Burritos — Locals Rally For Wyoming Firefighters

Normally, breakfast isn’t Parkman Bar and Grill’s thing. They’re up late most nights, not closing until at least midnight and sometimes 2 a.m.

But this week, the owner and a couple of workers were up at zero dark 30 with smiles on their faces, scrambling eggs and frying up sausages to make hundreds of breakfast burritos and sandwiches for volunteers helping fight the Elk Fire, which has burned more than 25,000 acres just to the southwest.

The effort started after a few locals called the bar up to ask if they could donate money to have some meals cooked up for ranchers out fighting fires in the Pass Creek area.

“It just kind of rolled from there,” owner Patricia Caywood told Cowboy State Daily. “I ran with it. My little bar is about 25 miles from Sheridan, so the community helps take care of us and my staff. They keep my staff employed. They keep my lights on, so we decided to help take care of them.”

Caywood made a quick post on Facebook to let the community know the bar would serve as a drop-off point for donations for volunteer firefighters.

“We’re doing all of their meals to the best of our ability,” Caywood said. “And our community has been wonderful at donating everything that we’re needing thus far.”

That’s been granola bars, jerky, and juices for snack bags. Lunch meat and bread for sandwiches, and eggs and sausages for breakfast, as well as case after case of water and Gatorade.

“The meals are going out not just to the ones who are fighting the fire,” Caywood added. “We’re sending them to their family members, their wives and kids as well. It’s going to everybody involved.”

Huge Hunk Of Generosity

The community has been unstinting in its generosity, so much so, Caywood can’t begin to tally it all up. It is just one huge chunk of human generosity.

“It’s been cases and cases and cases of water,” she said. “And I’ve got lots more cases of water coming in today.”

Caywood couldn’t get to Sheridan herself to shop for anything, so a community member is helping out by buying 45 more cases of water, while someone else has pledged another 45 cases of water.

“I’ve been in contact with the Remington crew, the fires that were happening up in Montana, and they have more cases of water for us from their overflow if we need it,” Caywood said. “And so, I’ll be in contact with the fire chief for the Dayton-Ranchester area to deliver those waters to them.”

Cases of Gatorade are also coming in to distribute to firefighters, along with all kinds of high-protein snacks, nuts, apples and granola bars for snack bags.

While some locals are bringing stuff in, others are arriving to take stuff out and deliver them to volunteer firefighters in areas they know well. Those delivery people include Caywood’s own husband Nick, who is a member of the Ranchester Fire Department.

“We’re a very close-knit community,” Caywood said. “So, everybody’s pulling together. We are all so blessed to live in the area that we live in.”

A Symphony Of Efforts

Tongue River Fire District-Ranchester Fire Chief Jeff Barron told Cowboy State Daily he and the firefighters really appreciate the community’s efforts.

“They’ve really come through for us and provided quite a bit of relief efforts,” he said. “It’s just been an outpouring.”

That outpouring has included not just Parkman Bar and Grill, but lots of others doing what they can to help out.

“We’ve got lots of folks who are trying to organize Airbnbs for displaced folks from the evacuation,” Barron said. “Others are offering parts of their home for displaced critters — cats and dogs — and then on the larger scheme, a lot of landowners who have excess space are offering places for displaced livestock.”

Some of the ranches that have firefighting equipment are also helping out on the front lines.

“The X Bar X, the IXL and Padlock all have equipment geared for fire,” Barron said. “So, they have been active participants on the fire.”

But none of the ranches are doing that alone. It’s all being coordinated with the fire department.

“They’ve not gone out there in cowboy fashion, they’ve stayed in contact, and all the efforts are coordinated together,” Barron said. “So, it’s just been this symphony of folks — landowners, who are offering their assistance and what equipment they have. But they’re not doing it alone. They’re doing it in concert with an active team that’s managing the fire. No one’s being rodeo cowboys standing alone.

Barron encouraged those wanting to help to reach out to the fire department to coordinate their efforts appropriately.

“When people are looking for information, make sure they’re going to places like the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Forest page, certainly our Facebook page, to make sure they’re getting good truthful information,” Barron said. “It’s not helpful to have folks sharpshooting from that armchair quarterback position. Keep looking at authentic sources for information.”

Contact Renee Jean at renee@cowboystatedaily.com

Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.