NORTH OGDEN, Utah — A massive team of first responders has now spent a full 24 hours in North Ogden battling the Willard Peak Fire, and now the community is coming up with ways to help and lend a helping hand.
“We’re just always trying to give back to our community because we receive so much support from them,” said Joe Cottam, owner of Bella's Fresh Mexican Grill in Farr West.
Cottam, who owns the restaurant with his parents, said the restaurant wouldn’t be where it is today, 27 years strong, without the community’s support.
“Do what we can, we’ve been given a vehicle where we can feed people, and it’s kind of just what we do,” he shared.
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Since the fire sparked Wednesday afternoon, Cottam and his team wanted their part to help the firefighters and volunteers who are helping so many others.
“We took breakfast burritos this morning, and then we ended up taking them to more than one location because we heard that there were people just having candy for breakfast,” said Geana Weston, the catering manager for Bella's.
But the restaurant couldn’t quite stop there, adding lunch meals to their rounds.
“They’re just really heroes, you know," said Cottam of the firefighters and volunteers. "They’re up sleeping on the grass after working all night or working all day, and they’re really amazing,”
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It meant putting teamwork to the test after a long night and an early morning.
“Organized chaos, that’s how we roll," explained Weston. "Call in whoever’s available and everybody helps out.”
Restaurant employees made at least 160 burritos on Thursday morning, and the calls kept coming in.
"Yeah, a lot of meals. And [Cottam] informed me that there were a lot of people from the community that actually Venmo'd him to help us out to be able to pay for the food,” Weston shared.
Cottam added that Bella's couldn’t give back if it weren’t for the support they get from the community.
“My parents kind of instilled it in us because they’re just so giving,” he said.
Cottam and his employees are thankful for the tireless work firefighters continue to do each and every day.
“When everybody else is getting out," Cottam said, "they’re the ones that are going in.”
