BRANTLEY COUNTY, Fla. – A wildfire burned 1,500 acres in Brantley County and remained zero percent contained Tuesday night. While the danger grew, neighbors stepped up to help those who lost everything.
Twin Rivers Baptist Church opened its doors, serving spaghetti, garlic bread, and dessert to residents displaced by the fire. Pastor Rusty Bryan said the response was swift.
“We got on the phone tree for the whole church, and we just sent out a message, ‘hey, we need help,’ and boom, people are here,” Bryan said.
RELATED: Schools closed, mandatory evacuations issued amid 1,500-acre wildfire in Brantley County
Bryan knew firsthand how devastating the fire had been. Several of his students lost their homes, including boys from his baseball team who spent Tuesday night at his house.
“It’s just devastating, it’s been a hard day,” he said.
The idea for the community meal came from Claudia Waldron, a church member and culinary teacher at Brantley County High School. She said the decision to act came quickly as reports of evacuations poured in.
“As all the messages started rolling in that everything was happening. They were evacuating Atkinson Elementary and Waynesville Primary. I just felt like we needed to do something,” Waldron said. “That’s what our community does. We give back, we help each other.”
Waldron said many of the students she teaches were directly affected by the fire.
“I’m hoping and praying that our students are okay and that some of my kids are okay and they know that we love them and we’re here for them,” she said.
Four evacuation shelters were available for Brantley County residents Tuesday night, including the Brantley County Library. The church said it planned to take things one day at a time and continue finding ways to help in the coming days.
Out of an abundance of caution, Brantley County Schools closed Wednesday.
Brantley County officials will hold a news conference on Wednesday at noon to give updates on the fire’s status. We will stream the event live.