It’s Time for the Redway Fire Department Barbecue/Town Party.

This is a press release from the Redway Fire Department:

We serve deep pit barbecue beef and pork, spiced to perfection by the fire departments outstand chefs. Also served are super fresh green garden salads, bread, and baked beans. We have a wide variety of dessert options served by Melanie. Of course, we also have liquid refreshments, soft drinks, water, and milk.

We have a beer and wine bar that also has many drink options. Our bartenders are good at psychological help, marriage counseling, financial advice, and they can answer almost any trivial questions. Tipping is optional, depending upon your opinion of their advice…

The meat is seasoned with super-secret spices and sauces, wrapped in foil, then wrapped in burlap cloth. The burlap is wetted to prevent burning when the meat is cooked in deep pits dug into the ground and lined with fire brick. The fire is made from pure local madrone wood burned down to white hot coals with blue flames coming from them. The wrapped meat is quickly loaded directly onto the coals and covered with steel lids. Then six inches of silt is shoveled on top of the lids to insulate the pits and keep the heat in. Nothing burns, because there is no oxygen to make anything burn. The meat is put in the pits around midnight. The pits are “cracked” at 8:00 am then the meat is allowed to slow cook until noon, when the meat is starting to be served.

Fire needs three thing to burn, fuel, heat, and oxygen. To cook the meat without burning we simply remove the oxygen with the lids and silt. It’s an “Old Firefighter Trick”, that all firefighters know.

The barbecue will be served “Rain or Shine”. Our very most attended barbecue was served during a rain downpour and flood that washed out the Benbow Dam flashboards. How’s that for some historical trivia?

The band will be Twango Macallan, with many guest stars joining them. Great music.

If you are just hungry and looking for a good meal and a good time, stop reading here.

If you are interested in the great things that are happening In the Redway Fire Department, keep reading. The department has been helped to a great extend by funding provided by Measure “Z”. The department now has new self-contained breathing apparatus, new structure fire personal protection equipment, (PPE) (…Fire Resistant Clothes) and they also have new wildland fire PPE. Plus, many accessories.

Their newest pumper (firetruck) is eighteen years old, but you could not tell by looking at any of their equipment. It all looks like it just rolled of the factory floor. Very, very well-maintained fire equipment. Ask Fire Chief Brian Anderson about the new training tower and training facility that will soon be built in Redway with Measure “Z” funding. To say that he is happy to finally have a way to train firefighters, other than “on the job training”, is an understatement. The hard part will be to get him to stop talking about it. The department has many new firefighters that are taking a serious interest in firefighting and lifesaving. If you are losing faith in the younger generation you need look no further than the Redway Fire Department’s young new firefighters to restore your faith in the good that can still happen in this world. Some of the hard working the old guys might need to be thanked also.

Please attend, the price is ridiculously inexpensive, the food if ridiculously good. You will have a ridiculously good time, and see many friends that you have not seen in years.

Ernie Branscomb,  Redway Fire Department (retired), and Sous Chef.