B10
News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
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They cook at
fire scenes,
‘but never
one this size’
By Nancy McCarthy
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — They
started out of the back of a
pick-up truck with a tent and
a camp stove.
Now, Bill and Janet Rob-
ertson make almost 700
meals a day and pack 1,100
lunches to feed the fire-
fighters fighting the Canyon
Creek Complex fire.
The former owners of the
Outpost restaurant usually
cater events with 150 to 300
guests. The hours are pretty
normal.
But during fire season —
and the past 20 years of fire
seasons — that “normal” life
comes to a halt.
“We get up at 2 or 3 a.m.,
and we’re working until 11
or 12 at night,” said Janet.
“Some days, we don’t get
any sleep at all.”
They have cooked at
plenty of fire scenes, she
said.
“But never one this size.”
They’re getting help from
local businesses. Chester’s
Thriftway makes donuts ev-
ery morning. The Outpost
helps out with some of the
All lined up and ready
to go, these lunch bags
are prepared by Bill
and Janet Robertson
and their assistants for
firefighters
assigned
to the Canyon Creek
Complex fire.
Eagle photos/Nancy McCarthy
About 1,100 bagged lunches are prepared for firefighters battling the Canyon Creek Complex fire. Ten
percent of the lunches are vegetarian.
cooking. It’s a way to keep
money in the community,
Janet said.
Most of the food, how-
ever, comes from Sysco. A
truck delivers products ev-
ery day.
Then comes the prepara-
tion: Provide breakfast from
5 to 9 a.m. Pack lunches (10
percent are vegetarian) be-
fore noon. Serve dinner from
5 to 11 p.m.
And feed the firefighters
they do. Breakfasts consist
of bacon and eggs, hash-
browns, biscuits and gravy.
For dinner, they offer bar-
bequed steak, pot roast, fried
chicken, pork chops, a full sal-
ad bar and a full dessert bar.
The firefighters deserve
good meals, Janet said.
“They work very hard
and long hours. They’re in
danger working to save our
properties.”
The work is a family af-
fair, said Bill, who pointed
to his granddaughter, grand-
son and daughter, all work-
ing on various chores at the
east end of the Pavilion,
where the Robertsons have
set up shop.
“We just came off two
other fires — Murderers
Creek for five days and a
24-hour contract all night at
Beulah Reservoir.”
The Robertsons get to
know some of the firefight-
ers, who come from all over
the United States. Some-
times they see them another
year on another fire.
Despite the long hours
and encounters with rattle-
snakes and cougars in some
camps, Bill said he enjoys
the experience.
“We love it,” he said.
“We try to make it fun. It’s
all about the firefighters.
They’re away from home.
We try to make it comfort-
able for them.”
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MARCIEL
Well Drilling & Pumps
Call for a
FREE Estimate!
John Marciel
541-932-4334
Mark and Brenda Bagett lost their home to the devastating Canyon Creek Complex Fire. They were able
to save their dogs and few personal belonging before fleeing the mountain. They opened the gates for the
horses and hoped for the best. The horses, Cricket and Penny, survived and were rescued after the fire
burned through, but their house was a total loss. Mark’s father, Bob Bagett, right, and their son-in-law, Josh
Walker, left, helped catch the horses when they were able to return to their property.
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W ith two kly or grand prize
wee G o fishing in G rant C ounty, and
Mt. View Mini Mart in Prairie City boasts a big and
colorful “Thank you.”
send in photos from your experience.
You Could
WIN $10 WEEKLY OR
$100 GRAND PRIZE
Open to all amateur photographers.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has stocked
some big ones in local lakes and waterways this summer.
This is your chance to catch supper and maybe win a
prize, in the 2015 Best Fishing Photo Contest sponsored
by the Blue Mountain Eagle, Boyd Britton Welding and
Prairie Springs Fish Farm.
• Photos will be judged for quality, content, viewer appeal.
Remember, it’s not the biggest fish – but the best fishing
photo that takes the prize!
• Photos must be taken this summer in Grant County.
• Digital format is best - e-mail to kristina@bmeagle.com or bring
in a disc to the Eagle office, 195 N. Canyon Blvd., John Day.
• Deadline for submissions: Sep. 21, 2015 for the grand prize.
Fisherman’s Name:__________________________________________
Where the fish was caught:____________________Date taken: _________
Fish Species:____________________Weight & Length________________
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Contact e-mail address:________________________________
For more info, call the Eagle, 541-575-0710 – and happy fishing!
In the Market for
Something
Organic?
Smoke from the Canyon
Creek
Complex
fire
billows high into the
sky above emergency
vehicles on Highway
395, in this photo by
Koby Essex.
Check out our incredible
variety of fresh, local
and organic foods.
Grant County
Farmers Market
SW Brent St., John Day
541-932-2725.
Every Saturday , now
through mid-October
8am-noon.
See you there!
• Fresh fruit
• Baked goods
• Lotions & soaps
• Fresh cut flowers
• Jewelry & other
handcrafted items
From David Kilpatrick,
outside the Canyon City
post office, as smoke
from the Canyon Creek
Complex billows over
Canyon Mountain.