Post by SIERRA 14 on May 5, 2006 20:41:52 GMT -5
Fire crews on mop-up duty
Personnel letting blaze burn itself out, hoping it won't jump across lines
By Pete Bosak
pbosak@centredaily.com
HARRIS TOWNSHIP -- The inferno that claimed 437 acres of Rothrock State Forest land near Tussey Mountain is well under control and now must simply burn itself out, a process that could take days or even weeks, a state official said.
About 30 firefighting personnel remained on site Wednesday -- and likely will be there the rest of today as well -- to make sure the fire cannot jump its containment lines, said Dan LeCrone, a forest fire specialist supervisor with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Crews are making sure the fire is absolutely out, "a good, cold black," 100 yards from control lines to assure the fire cannot cause any further damage, LeCrone said.
The blaze is the worst such fire for Centre County in more than a decade, fire officials said.
"The rest will have to burn itself out," LeCrone said. "We'd be up there all summer if we had to put it all out. It's far from out. But it's not up and running anymore."
The fire, which began about 1 p.m. Monday, may have been sparked by a downed power line, an Allegheny Power spokesman has said. No official determination of the cause had been made as of Wednesday.
"We're still investigating that," LeCrone said. "We've been concentrating on just getting the fire out."
Firefighters, numbering as many as 200, worked furiously through Monday night battling the fire on the ridge behind the ski resort. Fed by 45 mph winds, flames were reported at times to be shooting 80 to 100 feet into the air.
Officials expect that, by Friday morning, the situation will be reduced to "patrol status," where a small number of firefighters check the site periodically, LeCrone said.
Boalsburg Fire Company stands ready in case the fire somehow flares up, said Boalsburg Assistant Chief Marlin Neff.
"If it flares up, we'll be automatically paged," Neff said. "But it's winding down."
Pete Bosak can be reached at 235-3928.
Personnel letting blaze burn itself out, hoping it won't jump across lines
By Pete Bosak
pbosak@centredaily.com
HARRIS TOWNSHIP -- The inferno that claimed 437 acres of Rothrock State Forest land near Tussey Mountain is well under control and now must simply burn itself out, a process that could take days or even weeks, a state official said.
About 30 firefighting personnel remained on site Wednesday -- and likely will be there the rest of today as well -- to make sure the fire cannot jump its containment lines, said Dan LeCrone, a forest fire specialist supervisor with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Crews are making sure the fire is absolutely out, "a good, cold black," 100 yards from control lines to assure the fire cannot cause any further damage, LeCrone said.
The blaze is the worst such fire for Centre County in more than a decade, fire officials said.
"The rest will have to burn itself out," LeCrone said. "We'd be up there all summer if we had to put it all out. It's far from out. But it's not up and running anymore."
The fire, which began about 1 p.m. Monday, may have been sparked by a downed power line, an Allegheny Power spokesman has said. No official determination of the cause had been made as of Wednesday.
"We're still investigating that," LeCrone said. "We've been concentrating on just getting the fire out."
Firefighters, numbering as many as 200, worked furiously through Monday night battling the fire on the ridge behind the ski resort. Fed by 45 mph winds, flames were reported at times to be shooting 80 to 100 feet into the air.
Officials expect that, by Friday morning, the situation will be reduced to "patrol status," where a small number of firefighters check the site periodically, LeCrone said.
Boalsburg Fire Company stands ready in case the fire somehow flares up, said Boalsburg Assistant Chief Marlin Neff.
"If it flares up, we'll be automatically paged," Neff said. "But it's winding down."
Pete Bosak can be reached at 235-3928.