INTERLACHEN, Fla. – As brush fires continue to burn across parts of Putnam County, one local woman found a simple way to say thank you to the firefighters working long hours to keep flames from spreading: cupcakes.
After watching fire crews battle the blaze day after day, Rachel, an Interlachen resident and owner of Bee-Very Happy Soap Company, decided she wanted to do something to show her appreciation.
“I’ve been watching them for days, putting out the fire morning, noon, and night,” Rachel said. “I wanted to bring coffee out, but they said no, so I just thought of cupcakes. Everybody likes sweets. So I got to work and started making them.”
The gesture comes as crews continue to deal with smoky conditions caused by fires that started from an escaped burn pile and spread quickly due to dry, windy weather. The smoke has led to road closures, school disruptions and concerns for people living nearby.
For residents like her, the situation has been unsettling.
“It’s a little scary, because I have a wooden house, so I didn’t know what to do to prepare,” she said. “So I got my hose out so I can have water in my house, put my pets away — it’s all I could do.”
Despite the fear, she said watching firefighters work around the clock has brought reassurance, and baking felt like a small way to give back during a stressful time.
“It’s scary, the whole thing is,” she said. “But it’s starting to get better, and we are hoping to get rain tomorrow.”
Fire officials continue to monitor conditions and remind residents to follow safety guidance as crews work to contain the fires. For now, a box of homemade cupcakes serves as a reminder that even small acts of kindness can mean a lot during difficult moments.