A local business has thanked firefighters by providing them with free food after a gas leak forced an industrial park to evacuate.
Bussin Burgers in Verwood, Dorset, provided five emergency service workers with a full meal after the incident on Friday, May 1.
Millie Miller, who was working on the day, told GB News how she arrived on Friday afternoon to find the kitchen was completely shut off.
Upon arrival, she spoke with both firefighters and neighbouring business owners, who had told businesses at Enterprise Park, Black Moor Road, to evacuate.
Despite the evacuation order, Ms Miller regularly checked in with the emergency crew.
Once the leak was brought under control, firefighters told her that the kitchen could be accessed within approximately 30 minutes, allowing the team to prepare and begin serving customers by 5:30pm.
Ms Miller explained that she had spent several hours alongside the firefighters that afternoon.
She highlighted that they had already been working at the scene long before her arrival.
A local business has thanked firefighters by providing them with free food after a gas leak forced an industrial park to evacuate
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Ms Miller told the People’s Channel: “As soon as I knew we would be able to open, I didn’t think twice about offering the firefighters some complimentary food.
“This was the least we could do to say thank you for all their efforts and for how quickly they managed to sort the situation.
“They were super grateful. You could tell they were relieved the situation was under control, and the free food and drinks were just what they needed after being out there all day.”
The burger takeaway opened in September last year and serves British-sourced products.
The burger takeaway opened in September last year and serves British-sourced products
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Ms Miller continued: “Situations like this show how much local businesses and emergency services can rely on each other. On our side, it’s about showing that support back, whether that’s something small like offering food or just recognising the work they do.
“It builds a bit of trust and respect both ways, and you can see how much it means in situations like that. Small, genuine gestures can go a long way. In our case, it was just about saying thank you to the firefighters for everything they’d done, but you could see how much it meant to them.
“If more people and businesses did little things like that, just looking out for each other and showing a bit of appreciation, it would make a real difference. It’s about creating that sense of community and support.”
She added: “It means a lot to feel the support from the community.”
One firefighter later thanked the business on social media
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One firefighter later thanked the business on social media, adding: “Not only was the food unreal, but the kindness didn’t go unnoticed either.”
Chris Alcazar, owner of Bussin Burgers, told GB News that he thought it was a great idea to provide emergency services with food.
He added: “Friday is always our busiest day, so initially it was frustrating.
“The firefighters were really nice guys. It’s very important to have these relationships with local businesses.”