Snacks, water and other beverages filled Vienna Fire Department to aid the first responders fighting the fire at the Peoples Cartage facility. (Photo provided)

PARKERSBURG — As crews from across the region continued responding to the Peoples Cartage warehouse fire, local governments, churches, nonprofits, businesses and volunteers stepped in to support first responders and families affected by disruptions from the blaze.

While emergency crews worked at the scene, Vienna opened the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department as a collection point for water, snacks and other supplies for first responders.

Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick said the city decided to help after residents began calling and messaging Sunday asking where they could take donations. Although Lubeck was the main point of contact for the fire response, Emrick said not everyone could get there.

“We opened up the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department to be a location to receive those things, and the outpouring of generosity was unbelievable,” Emrick said. “In about a five-hour period of time, we filled to capacity all of the space that we really had to be able to put stuff.”

The Salvation Army of Parkersburg also responded to the scene with its mobile command center, or canteen vehicle, according to Daniel Westfall, business administrator for the organization.

Marvin Edwards, owner of Maka Mia Pizza, prepares hot dogs to give bring to first responders battling the Peoples Cartage fire. (Photo provided)

Westfall said the Salvation Army was serving food and drinks to first responders and others who needed assistance, helping keep crews hydrated and fed during the extended response. He said the organization also distributed small donations it had received for first responders.

“With being Salvation Army, we’re always called to disaster relief,” Westfall said. “Pretty much any local disaster, Salvation Army is the first one there all the time. It’s just part of our creed that we do to help people out.”

Westfall said the organization’s corps officers, who also serve as pastors, were available at the scene to provide prayer and spiritual guidance for those who wanted it.

Community support also extended to meal programs affected by the fire. Wood County Schools initially canceled all summer programs for Monday, including the Summer Feeding Program, due to the fire and potential air quality impacts.

Emrick said the Parkersburg Area Association of Realtors contacted him Monday looking for a way to help supplement areas where Wood County Schools was unable to operate its lunch program. The city helped connect the group with Cornerstone Gospel Church in Vienna, where meals could be prepared and distributed.

“They reached out to me about a location and some support, and we’re providing space to them at Cornerstone Gospel Church,” Emrick said. “They’re going to be doing all of their meal prep and put everything together and be able to distribute from here so that kids can be fed.”

Wood County Schools later announced brown bag meals would be available for students beginning Monday at Cornerstone Gospel Church, 3100 17th Ave. in Vienna, while supplies last. The district said the effort was made possible by community partners responding to disruptions in the Summer Feeding Program.

An additional distribution site was later added at South Parkersburg Pizza Place, 1014 Blizzard Drive, where the Parkersburg Area Association of Realtors was set to distribute brown bag meals from 4-7 p.m. Parents were asked to enter the restaurant to receive meals.

Local businesses also helped feed first responders. Marvin Edwards, owner of Maka Mia Pizza, said he wanted to help because many of the first responders are people he knows personally.

“We knew a lot of the firemen,” Edwards said. “We were downtown for gosh, six years, so we knew the Parkersburg crew down there. Now we know the Vienna crew.”

Edwards said his business sent 14 pizzas and 48 subs to first responders Sunday, followed by 132 hot dogs Monday. He said he was waiting to hear what would be needed Thursday and Friday.

“I’ll do whatever I have to do,” Edwards said.

Emrick said Edwards had coordinated with Del. Scot Heckert to provide hot meals to crews over multiple days.

For Edwards, the effort was about supporting the people working through the emergency.

“I just think the community needs to support each other,” Edwards said. “These are our family, friends and our neighbors out there.”

The response, Emrick said, showed how quickly residents, businesses and organizations across Wood County were willing to help during an emergency.

“It was just incredible,” he said.