This optimism was due in large part to the weather, but also to the upbeat attitude of firefighters who clearly could see that progress finally was being made. That same sense of optimism carried over to residents of Mims in Brevard County and Hunter's Ridge in Volusia County when they were allowed to return to their homes, most of which largely went unscathed by the flames. Many residents are showing signs of gratitude. At Houligan's restaurant and bar in Ormond Beach, firefighters relaxed in booths and feasted on sandwiches, cold fruit and cakes brought to the restaurant by local residents. Houligan's owner, Tim Curtis, was forced to evacuate from his Broadwater home last Wednesday and returned later in the day, elated to find his home untouched by the flames.
Businesses pray for help from above.
When an Ormond Beach fire commander asked Curtis that evening if the fire department could use the restaurant as a rehabilitation center, the young businessman wholeheartedly agreed. He thought he'd close the restaurant to regular customers just for the night, but Houligan's quickly found itself transformed into a 24-hour oasis for firefighters. Around the clock, volunteers served thousands of meals and dispensed toothpaste, razors and even clean underwear to the exhausted firefighters, many of whom came a long way to fight the fires. Some even bunked in the restaurant's game room. The restaurant started running out of food last Thursday.