Meet the purveyors of pizza who are feeding N.L. firefighters

CBC

5 days ago

On the north side of the Kingston fire in Newfoundland and Labrador, four ovens are running full tilt in a modest camper.
Don Watkins and his wife Mandy Bursey run Sliceberg Pizza from the camper that's parked in Old Perlican. The food truck is home base for a volunteer effort to feed firefighters who are stationed 45 minutes away.
"The reason why is obvious," Watkins said in an interview with CBC Morning Live on Monday. "These people are missing their actual paying jobs in order to fight these wildfires."
Watkins said he was inspired to help when a paramedic asked him if the food truck was open last Tuesday. It wasn't, but the crew warmed up the kitchen anyway.
The business owner said 15 pizzas were delivered straight to the roadblock near the fire in Conception Bay North.
"It kind of snowballed from there."
Sliceberg has been preparing meals for firefighters nearly every night since. The menu has expanded to include not just a variety of pizzas, but also goulash, chicken and rice.
The volunteers have also received donations of money and ingredients to help with the effort.
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Don Watkins has four ovens in his camper that is Sliceberg Pizza, his mobile business in Old Perlican. He says while he delivered pizzas early on in the firefighting efforts, he has now diversified the menu. Watkins tells the CBC's Heather Hiscox that other local businesses are stepping up too, and it's the volunteer firefighters that deserve the credit and spotlight.
Watkins said he's not the only one lending a helping hand as fires ravage nearby communities. The local Lions Club and other restaurants are also feeding the hungry and exhausted firefighters.
It's been fulfilling to see their reactions, Watkins said.
"They were literally like little kids at Christmas. We're talking about fishermen, teachers, just average people who drop everything when there's a fire, and run into danger to save their community…it's incredible."