In Cass Township, volunteer firefighters and forestry crews worked tirelessly into the night on Friday to contain a swiftly moving brush fire that flared up in the area of Valley Road and Breaker Road.
The first calls for assistance were received shortly after 8:00 p.m., alerting local crews to the blaze that soon lit up the night sky.
Fueled by strong winds exceeding 30 mph, the flames spread rapidly.
Local fire departments struggled to manage the rapidly advancing fire and ultimately requested assistance from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and additional forestry units.
While forestry crews worked, volunteer firefighters focused on protecting nearby structures.
By early Saturday morning, around 3:00 a.m., DCNR crews reported that they would be stepping back temporarily, with plans to resume containment efforts at daybreak.
Just after 7:00 a.m., DCNR returned to the scene to continue their work to bring the fire under control.
Multiple large brush fires were reported across our region late Friday including Butler Township near Girardville, Beaver Township in Columbia County, and in Berks County.
Conditions continue to be dry with the lack of rain our area has seen over the last several months. Some slight relief is in the weather forecast for Sunday with some light rain expected, but that won't be enough to pull our area of its drought.