California fire: Englewood firefighter lends his barbecue expertise to help

Joshua Jongsma | NorthJersey

Show Caption Hide Caption Operation BBQ Relief Curtis Barnes, a 50-year-old Teaneck resident and Englewood firefighter, who recently volunteered in Redding, California at the site of the wildfires as part of Operation BBQ Relief, talks about his experience.

Two things largely define Curtis Barnes: volunteering and barbecue food.

Barnes, 50, lives in Teaneck and works as an Englewood firefighter. He also runs a catering business called 5 Alarm BBQ that started in 2012. He operates from a truck with two heavy-duty smokers in the front, and a pair of beds in the back that he's used when a barbecue competition has kept him on the road.

The competitions took him up and down the East Coast, but a tragedy in California took him across the country. Barnes volunteered with Operation BBQ Relief, a nonprofit that brings barbecue food to victims and first responders after a disaster.

Barnes is a lead coordinator for New York City with Operation BBQ Relief and traveled to Redding, California, after one of the most devastating wildfires in the state's history.

"It’s just a good opportunity to give back, because when there’s tragedy people always come together to try to help each other out," Barnes said.

The fire has killed eight people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes so far. It started at Highway 299 and Carr Powerhouse Road. It's the sixth-most-destructive wildfire in California history, having burned more than 200,000 acres.

Barnes arrived in California on Aug. 1 and stayed for five days. While he was there, his barbecue skills did not go toward catering or competition, but instead to feeding people who lost their homes, or firefighters trying to prevent more damage.

Despite being an Englewood firefighter for 24 years, Barnes said he couldn't relate to what the department members in California had to endure. Though he never came too close to the scene, Barnes recalled ash from the fire still blowing in the wind toward him.

"To deal with those conditions on a daily, consistent basis when the temperatures are upwards of near 102 degrees and they’re working 18-hour shifts, my hat went off to them," he said, "because they’re real heroes locally. They’re members of the community and they’re out there risking their lives."

Barnes mostly served pork while there, from sliders to bigger sandwiches, and plenty of sauce to go with it. Operation BBQ Relief fed 20,553 meals to first responders and others affected by the tragedy, he said.

The volunteers used a converted NASCAR tractor to carry the immense amount of food needed.

The fire in Redding continues to burn, but so does Barnes' desire to help. He said he would definitely go back on the road if needed with Operation BBQ Relief.

"We come and help people when they’re at their worst," he said. "When they don’t have a home, when they don’t have anything to eat, we’re able to provide them with a hot barbecue meal. It’s just great to be able to give back to people in need. Whether big or small, Operation BBQ is out there."

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Email: jongsma@northjersey.com