PATRICK COUNTY, Va. – Another day of fighting the flames.
The Tuggle’s Gap wildfire has burned over 800 acres of forest and the community is stepping up to help.
“We’re giving them places to stay, places to shower, comfortable restrooms to use, workspaces, internet, we’re feeding them meals, we’re procuring supplies through the community,” said Nick Bieneck, innkeeper of Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn.
Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn is a little business set at the Patrick County-Floyd County border.
Bieneck said he first got a call from local officials telling him they needed to use his property to fight the fire.
He said once crews started showing up, he knew he could help in some way.
“We’re going to take care of our guests at the Tuggle’s Gap Roadside Inn the best way we can regardless of how you got here,” said Bieneck. “I’m grateful they’re here and we get to take care of them, it’s just what you do.”
What started as a simple inn has now become the base of operations for firefighters and community support.
“100 percent donations is what you’re seeing,” said Bieneck. “We are operating now on donations completely. We’re surrounded by thousands of water bottles, a mountain of Gatorade — we’ve got stores and stores of snacks and granola bars.”
One worker at the inn said normally this is their slow season, so it was a change seeing their parking lot full.
“I had to take the parkway to come here so when I was coming over the parkway I was looking out and was like, ‘That is a lot of people,’” Abigail Smitherman said.
Bieneck said this is an example of how much this area cares for one another.
“The community outpouring of support — we had to kind of become and mobilize ourselves to become a conduit for the support people are willing to offer locally, regionally, and even across the county,” Bieneck said.
Officials from Patrick County also said the U.S. Department of Forestry is bringing a Black Hawk helicopter to aid in the fight.