In a heartfelt gesture of gratitude, the St. John’s United Church of Christ in Palmerton hosted a Saturday morning breakfast to honor the brave firefighters who had tirelessly battled the significant wildfire on Blue Mountain.

The event was held in the church’s community hall and brought together local volunteers, and the men and women from the Palmerton, Aquashicola and Bowmanstown fire companies.

The meal featured a hearty variety of homemade dishes prepared by church members, including hot coffee, orange juice, pancakes, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage and bacon.

Pencor Services donated food and supplies, while Giant in Walnutport contributed an array of sweet treats and cookies.

Brigitte Naratil, a church volunteer, expressed the congregation’s sentiment: “These men and women have shown incredible bravery and dedication in protecting our community. We are so proud to host this breakfast — it is just a small way for us to say thank you and show our support.”

Lt. Sean Rios, who helped coordinate the firefighting efforts, attended the breakfast and noted the challenges his team has faced.

“It was a long three days; we even got called onto a local fire here in the borough — thankfully we had enough people back at the station for them to quickly intervene and knock it down,” Rios said. “But the support from the community has been overwhelming. We had donations coming in from all over, waters, Gatorade and food — we were able to help fill local food pantries with the extras we had.”

On a warm-hearted note, the event included an extra touch of appreciation from students and teachers at S.S. Palmer Elementary School, who created handmade thank-you cards for the firefighters.

The breakfast not only celebrated the firefighters’ dedication but also inspired future community-driven initiatives. Church leaders announced plans to organize similar events to support not just the firefighters but other local first responders as well.

For more information about these specific upcoming events or to learn how to support the Palmerton, Aquashicola and Bowmanstown fire companies, contact St. John’s Church or reach out directly to the fire companies.