Smog-filled skies loom over Gaston during the second day of the Lee Falls Fire, but what may burn brighter than the fast-moving flames is the small town’s community resilience.
The 280-acre blaze forced over 600 residents to evacuate their homes Thursday, Aug. 8, in the Cherry Grove area — leaving many wondering where they would go.
Multiple community groups opened their doors to shelter those in need, with many taking refuge at the New Life Fellowship Christian Church at 202 Church St.
Jason Livingston, who just started preaching at the Gaston Church, said his wife brought up the idea to provide a safe place during the chaos.
“One of things I’ve been instilling with the church body is that we’re a big family, and we have to take care of each other, and we’re here to represent Christ to the world. And so that’s kind of our mission,” he said.
The church offers eight beds and a shower, alongside snacks and water that are available all day and night. Red Cross has also been at the front lines helping church members, offering food and staffing during the spur-of-the-moment initiative.
Amid the smoldering heat, fans blasted cool air toward the entryway, and a TV played the children’s show “Bluey” — a program the pastor put on for a young guest.
“We just had some community members stop in to get some food, some water, and then they left. And then we had some church members that stayed here,” Livingston.
One of the 15 people who ended up staying the night was Todd Johnson, a Cherry Grove resident residing right downtown.
Like many, Johnson was not totally prepared when the order came for a Level 1 evacuation; at the time, he was at the mechanic, getting the tires changed on his truck.
“When people started bombarding me with stuff, I’m looking at my truck and I have no tires; like, I couldn’t even leave,” Johnson recalled.
Johnson, a church member, took his wife, three kids and dog to open the church around 7:30 p.m. that night, after he assisted his elderly neighbors with packing their belongings and getting away from the fire.
The recent flames ignite memories of the brush fire that alarmed a Level 3 evacuation between Cherry Grove and Hagg Lake in 2020.
“We had to do the same thing (four) years ago,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t quite as chaotic this time. But it’s definitely one of those things where it’s like, ‘oh — it’s not Level 2 anymore. Now it’s time to grab your stuff and leave.’”
Although the church will leave its doors open as the fire lingers, Gaston, a town of around 660 people, has come together to support one another, with many residents opening their homes to neighbors.
“Nobody’s really showed up here because it’s so tight knit that people are like, ‘come on over to my house,’” Johnson said. “It’s really cool that we haven’t seen a huge influx of people, because people already have places that they can go.”
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