LEHIGH TWP., Pa. — A brush fire on Blue Mountain since Saturday that engulfed nearly 600 acres now is in the "mop up" phase, officials said Tuesday.
"We've gone into what's called a mop up phase," said Jim Hyland, a retired forester with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources who is also providing updates on the fire.
"That pretty much means we are no longer fighting fire directly.
"The fire is no longer advancing along any lines, and we are working hard with hose lays, shovels and picks to dig out hotspots down below the ground."
The Gap Fire, which erupted Saturday near Route 248 in Lehigh Township, was 25% contained at 577 acres late Monday, said an update from Jeremy Hamilton, the incident commander, and it's held.
“It’s only 25% contained, because there’s only 25% of the line that we can really say we have 100% confidence that the fire can’t start up again,” Hyland said.
That update, posted to the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company's Facebook page, said personnel on the top of the mountain along the Appalachian Trail were able to “hold the forward spread from crossing the ridge to the north.”
“Along with this, crews also were able to currently halt spread toward the east above Timberline Road,” the update said.
Hamilton’s message emphasized “many days of hard work” ahead for the 124 total personnel on the ground.
That work will include securing the perimeter and extinguishing hotspots.
“Due to the risk of the general public, we would ask the residents and recreationalists to avoid the fire area as it is still receiving diligent work, and poses risks with hotspots and falling trees,” the update said.
With that update came news that threat to residences off Timberline Road “lessened greatly.”
“People will still see glowing trees and pockets of interior activity," Hamilton wrote. "Smoke will still be present for the foreseeable future."
The "mop up" stage could last through the end of this week, Hyland said.
“There's a lot of organic material down there that could still be on fire and smolder for days and days and days and find its way back up somewhere across the land, across the control lines and then start another fire,” he said. “Especially in windy, dry conditions.”
No point of origin or cause has been determined.
Fire enters its fourth day
Nightshift from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources monitored the blaze overnight, with local crews on fire watch behind homes.
Firefighters will remain on-site working and monitoring conditions, after spending the past few days with heavy ground equipment and helicopters capable of dropping hundreds of gallons of water.
About 30 state and local fire departments were involved in the operations, officials said.
Assistant Chief Brian Krische of the Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company said it was a blaze unlike any other in decades.
"This is the largest fire we've had in 25 years," he told LehighValleyNews.com on Monday.
The fire still is being investigated, but no structures have been lost and no injuries reported.
On Monday night, Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton reported the blaze was about 4 miles away from the resort.
“We are using our pumps and water retention ponds to help fill fire tankers,” a Facebook post said.
The area is desperate for rainfall, and finally may see it this weekend.
A stronger system “may finally bring the first widespread rainfall to the region in more than a month,” the National Weather Service said.
That may be enhanced by some remnant tropical moisture from Rafael, which currently is a tropical storm in the Caribbean and "forecast to move northwest in the Gulf of Mexico later this week as a hurricane,” updates said.
Based on trends in guidance, forecasters look for Rafael’s remains to get ingested into a larger system across the interior South and move into our region Sunday, though a lot of uncertainty remains.
Officials from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on Tuesday announced a campfire ban on state park and forest lands until further notice. Prescribed burns have also been paused.
"While Pennsylvania saw heavy rain and flooding over the summer, recent dry conditions, paired with sunny days, unseasonably warm temperatures, and low humidity, have heightened wildfire risk," according to a news release. "The 10-day forecast for most of Pennsylvania predicts little or no precipitation, exacerbating the already heightened situation."
Statewide, there have been 100 reported wildfires in the past week, with many more unreported, officials said.
“Leaf litter, fine twigs, and dried branches are prime fuel sources for a fire that could get out of control — when mixed with our current dry conditions, we have a potential recipe for disaster,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “I encourage Pennsylvanians to avoid burning on all lands, as it is the best way to protect the people putting their lives in danger to keep our commonwealth safe from wildfires.”
How to help
On Monday, the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber announced an emergency fundraiser, organized with the support of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, that aims to provide crucial aid to the local volunteer fire departments and emergency crews fighting to contain the blaze.
A release said the “urgent effort aims to support the volunteer fire departments and emergency crews who have been tirelessly working to protect the area and contain the flames.”
How to contribute:
- Cash or Check Donations:
- Visit The Neffs National Bank locations to contribute.
- 5629 Pennsylvanian Route 873, Neffs 18065
- 211 S. Best Ave., Walnutport 18088
- Donations can be mailed to The Neffs National Bank
- 5629 Route 873, PO Box 10, Neffs 18065
- Visit The Neffs National Bank locations to contribute.
Anyone planning to drop off a check at either of The Neffs National Bank locations should make the check payable to the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber.
- You also can mail or drop off a check made payable to GLVCC at any Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber Office.
- Venmo: Donations can also be sent via Venmo to the Chamber (@GLVCC) with the memo: Initiative to Support Local Fire Departments
- Credit card donation and additional inquiries: Call Jessica O'Donnell-Gower at (610) 573-4010 or Elyse Cuttic at (484) 834-7868.
Lehigh Township Volunteer Fire Company is coordinating hot food donations and asked residents not to drop off hot food.
“We also have plenty of water and supplies,” a Facebook post said Monday night.
